Gone With the Wind
by Kari-Kateora
Summary: After the death of a comrade, Neji Hyuuga must find a way to accept and let go of his pain. On his road, his friends can help him, if he allows them to. But deep down, it's him who has to take the steps. Ten chapters in total, eventual Neji/Tenten
1. Happiness

**Disclaimer: Characters, settings and the universe of Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto.**

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><p><strong>Chapter One – Happiness<strong>

The cool wind whispered through the trees of Konoha, bringing with it the soothing rustle of leaves and the scents of spring. The early evening air was light and peaceful, the sun filling the clearing with a soft, warm light that filtered through the foliage and down to the three shinobi. One was sitting under a tree, legs crossed with one leg slightly on top of the other, hands on knees; a typical lotus position. The other two were in the middle of a spar, one running along the branches, the other on the ground, running parallel to her.

To the meditating ninja's ears, the only sounds that broke the peaceful birdsong and the otherwise quiet afternoon was the sound of steel hitting the ground and various unfortunate trees, mixed in with the inarticulate cries most common to taijutsu experts. There was a cry when his teammates' constant noise would have annoyed the Hyuuga prodigy beyond reason before he'd snap at them to stop interfering with his meditation. Now, however, he just sat still, letting the sun's light warm his legs slightly as he took in the birdsong and the sound of his friends' spar. The latter was no longer an unwelcome nuisance. If only, Neji thought, their afternoons could always be this peaceful.

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><p>"If I cannot drink this milkshake in one breath, I shall do three hundred laps around Konoha on one arm!" Neji heard his green-clad teammate proclaim. His previous good mood from the clearing had evaporated the moment the three had left the training grounds for the night. Tenten, their team's kunoichi and resident weapons' mistress, had suggested they all get a milkshake for their efforts that day. Neji didn't need the reward, but he'd agreed to go with his team. After all, the Jounin was far fonder of him than he'd ever have imagined he would become in his Genin years.<p>

He would have been happier if it were only him and Tenten, away from Lee's self-imposed dares and tasks. Though the two had made great progress in bonding with each other, there were still times Neji thought the other boy was stupid, crazy, or both. This was one of those times.

"Lee…" Tenten sighed, sipping her strawberry milkshake slowly. She had an exasperated look on her face, always the one that had to reign in him and their sensei when they began like this. "if you drink your milkshake so fast, you'll get brain freeze." She warned him, not so much angry as weary.

"Oho!" their bushy-eyebrowed friend grinned, striking a Nice Guy pose. "Then, if I get brain freeze, I shall still do the laps around Konoha!" he proclaimed and proceeded to suck vehemently on his banana-strawberry milkshake before the two saner members of his squad could stop him. Both Neji and Tenten sighed as he let go of the glass, yelping and holding his head. "Ow ow ow ow!"

"Told you so." Tenten sighed, looking at the boy sympathetically. She knew the pain would pass soon enough; brain freeze was only temporary, after all.

It spoke in favor of Neji's transformation that he didn't throw a scathing remark at his teammate. Instead, he looked up from his vanilla milkshake and mixed it with his straw. "There's no point in doing laps around Konoha." He told him.

"But I set the challenge and now I must complete it!" Lee said, standing up and throwing his stool back in the process. Several of the café's patrons turned to look at them, then returned to their drinks and companions. Any commotion caused by the Green Beasts of Konoha was by now a familiar sight. Most didn't even bat an eyelid when Lee smacked down several ryo on the bar in front of him and gave a stiff salute, dedication written in his eyes. "I must complete my laps before midnight!"

"Lee-" Tenten tried to save the situation, but lee was already off, having rushed for the door and done an impressive handstand right outside it. Then, ligting one of his hands behind his back, he proceeded to hop along on the other at high speed. Tenten looked after him, sighing again at his eagerness – or stupidity, whichever you preferred – and turned back to her drink.

Neji hadn't even turned. He could see Lee even with his Byakugan, but he had no interest to see his teammate hop off. _Finally, some peace._he thought, massaging his temples slightly; his friend's proclamations and insane dares often gave him a headache.

"He's gone." Tenten.

"Yes." Neji. They sat in silence for a while, both drinking their milkshakes in companionable quiet. When the team was gathered, lee usually monopolized the conversation, forcing replies and protests out of Tenten, indignant responses and eyerolls from Neji. When it was just the two of them, though, it was rare for one to try and fill the silence. Both could communicate in few words and, really, preferred it that way. There was enough clamor when their teacher and other teammate were present to satisfy them both for the day.

"I wonder if he'll finish his challenge before he has to go to the bathroom." Tenten mused. Naji raised an eyebrow, his mouth quirking up in a smile.

"I hope so." The Jounin replied, the two turning back to their drinks.

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><p>It was almost eleven PM when Neji and Tenten began to walk homewards. The two never walked each other home, as Tenten didn't want to feel like Neji was escorting her in the dangerous night and Neji didn't want her to approach the Hyuuga compound. However, as their respective abodes were in the same general direction, the two usually walked together to a point where they had to part. Though the pair hardly planned for it, through the years this point had gradually become less convenient for both of them; it had begun as the exact mid-spot which was closest to both their homes and drifted from there so that, in the end, both had to backtrack somewhat when they parted. Neither complained, though; both found the other's company pleasing and the arrangement stuck.<p>

As Neji Hyuuga nodded farewell to his teammate and leaped off, running along the top of a fence towards his clan's compound, he smiled slightly to himself. The day had gone by quite pleasantly, he had to admit. They had spent a very fruitful morningtraining, had eaten lunch at his favorite restaurant, and in the end, Lee had only struck four Nice Guy poses.

Life could be worse, he mused as he carefully disrobed in his room, folding the day's clothes neatly on the low table in the center. As he donned his night clothes and unrolled his futon, he had to smile to himself again.

_Life is good_. he thought privately as he drifted off into slumber.

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><p><strong>Author:<strong> Thank you for reading and please look forward to Chapter Two: Youthful Departure. And remember, leaving reviews makes us happy. ^_^


	2. Youthful Departure

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed this story. Your encouraging words really do mean a great deal. ^_^ I hope to not disappoint you. The story really takes off after this chapter. Forgive me for the wall of text. ^_^" The size got a little out of hand. Due to the fact that I've planned the chapters out, I might have to make others smaller and others larger, depending on the content.**

Author's Note: Something I thought necessary to specify: this story takes place in Naruto Shippuuden, after Naruto's return.

Disclaimer: I do not own the universe of Naruto. This is a non-profit fanfiction.

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><p><strong>Chapter Two – Youthful Departure<strong>

"Team Gai, your mission this time is an A-Class mission." The Fifth Hokage announced, sitting behind her paperwork-laden desk, her hands clasped before her eyes, elbows on the wooden surface. Behind her, the early morning light filtered through the curved windows through which all three shinobi could see the sprawl of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Shizune, the Godaime's faithful assistant and medic-nin, stood behind her boss, an irritated look on her face as she carried stacks of still unfinished paperwork Tsunade had doubtlessly neglected.

Before her stood the three members of Team Gai – their sensei and namesake absent as he was on a mission with Hatake Kakashi in the Land of Tea. Three pairs of eyes – lavender, black and amber, met the Hokage's stern gaze as she weighed up the shinobi in front of her. Meeting their determination and calm, she continued.

"We have information that a platoon of Stone-nin has been hiding in Waterfall Country, between Fire and Wind. It is quite possible that they might be preparing to threaten either Wind or Fire country or aid Akatsuki. Your mission is to find this outpost and assess the situation. If the platoon is within your league, you have permission to take it out. If not, send for back-up. Do not get carried away and get yourselves killed. Are we clear?" All three nodded. "Hyuuga Neji, as Jounin, you will be the captain of the three-man cell." Neji nodded, the arrangement by now a familiar one. Team Gai had taken several missions without their teacher and, as both Tenten and Lee were still Chuunin, he outranked them. Tsunade looked over all three ninja again, her gaze skeptical. "Do not take your mission lightly."

"No, Hokage-sama." They replied solemnly. Their expressions conveyed mixed feelings about the mission, feelings the Fifth Hokage expected of each and one of them; Neji's expression was blank, but the serious look in his eyes betrayed his concern and determination to complete the mission and keep his teammates safe. Tenten was more openly concerned, her set eyes declaring that she would overcome this obstacle. Lee, on the other hand, seemed excited and very determined. Tsunade was certain this was a chance for 'the power of youth' to shine. _Gai, you trained them well…_she thought as she closed her eyes and nodded.

"Very well. You are to leave within the hour. We will be waiting for word from you."

"Yes, Lady Hokage." They said again and bowed, taking the mission scroll and leaving her office. Once outside, Neji let his shoulders relax, his fist tightening around the scroll he carried. Neither of his teammates noticed.

"Yosh! This is a perfect opportunity to make Gai-sensei proud of us and show him the power of our youth!" Lee declared enthusiastically. Tenten just sighed, but smiled at her teammate fondly.

"Yes, Lee" she said, halfway agreeing with him. The determined spark in her eyes made Neji roll his eyes slightly.

_Always up to the challenge…_he thought. Normally, his reaction would have been the same as hers; confident, eager determination. This mission wasn't sitting well with him, though. He wasn't sure whether it was the fact that, in truth, they weren't sure of what they were going up against or the fact that he might have to call for back-up. If his teammates could hear his thoughts, he was sure they'd claim the latter. After all, he, Neji Hyuuga, couldn't be afraid of the unknown. The darkness didn't frighten those who could see far.

"Alright you two. Be at the gates in forty minutes." He told his two teammates, the three separating at entrance to the Hokage building. Neji headed to the Hyuuga compound, leaping from rooftop to rooftop to avoid the morning crowds. That was really how most ninja travelled in the village; the space above the streets was both larger, clearer and with less traffic for those who could navigate it.

Within eight minutes, he'd reached the front doors to the compound. Etiquette and safety bade that every Hyuuga enter from the gates and not scale the walls, as most could do. Protecting the Byuakugan over generations had led the secretive clan to establish strict protection measures, one of which was that the only way to enter the compound was through the gates. The Branch house sentries stationed at the gates recognized him immediately and, after a quick scan by one of the sensory ninja, he was allowed through and into the housing areas.

The Hyuuga compound was a large estate on the eastern outskirts of Konoha, flanked by the village on one side and the forest on the other. Upon entering the gates, one would have to navigate the paved streets to reach the Main House. It was stationed in the middle of the compound, both the formal and festivity halls, the Head's office rooms and, at the back of the house, the Main Family's personal quarters. Around this large mansion, smaller establishments stood, whether they were kitchens, bath houses or Branch Family residences. The Hyuuga compound was really like a small village in itself, even with it's own fountains here and there and several training grounds. To a visitor, the layout might seem confusing, but it was simple, really; the farther one was from the Main Family, the farther they lived. As Neji was directly related to them, he was supposed to live right next to the Main House.

He didn't; he lived _with_them.

Neji didn't think of these details as he walked briskly towards his room, packing his things in the traditional cloth sack he'd started to carry around. Apparently, it had been his father's and he liked to think he had a part of Hizashi with him when he was out on missions. He had to hurry and meet up with his teammates. God forbid he was late to their meet-up; Tenten would never let him live it down. The thought brought a small smile to his lips as he shouldered the pack and closed the shouji behind him. As he hurried down the silent corridors, he nearly ran into his cousin as he turned a corner. Sharp reflexes were what saved both from an embarrassing collision.

"Sorry, Neji." Hinata said, her previous bad habit of stammering long gone. She met his eyes, pearl meeting pearl.

"No, forgive me." He replied, stepping past her. "Excuse me, I have to leave for a mission."

"Oh?" she asked, turning to watch as he walked off. "Good luck, Neji." He only raised a hand in recognition as he turned another corner, hurrying through the main house and out onto the streets of Konoha again. There, he could ascend to the rooftops again without fear of losing his dignity. Within minutes, he was at the gate.

As predicted, he was first there. He hadn't asked the other two to be there for another fifteen minutes. He didn't worry, though; within five, both of his squad members were with him. As a well-oiled machine, team Gai was used to arriving early and finishing sooner beyond rational people would dare to even try. That was what made them strong. The three didn't even have to speak as they set off; all they gave each other was a nod and a quick smile before shooting off through the treetops. They habitually fell into their usual formation: Tenten up front, Lee in the middle and Neji guarding the rear.

Their target area was one and a half days to the west. With that knowledge, they'd decided to carry on until the borders and spend the night there, continuing on into enemy territory the next day. Throughout the day, they pushed forwards, stopping twice for a quick rest and a bite to eat. An hour past sundown, Neji blew a low whistle; guarding the rear meant he couldn't give a hand signal to stop his teammates. In the darkness, it was likely they wouldn't have seen it anyway. His two teammates froze on their respective branches, only a few paces away from him.

"We've gone far enough for today." He told them quietly, eyes scanning the landscape around them. The veins around his eyes had activated upon leaving the village, his Byakugan scanning for potential enemies. Once more, he scanned the area around them, but found no chakra signatures other than theirs.

"'Bout time." Tenten sighed, bending her knees slightly and rubbing her thighs. Neji had pushed them all day at quite the brisk pace, even for a ninja.

"Tenten! You mustn't tire! Use your youthful energy!" lee proclaimed, he himself standing straight and tireless. As was to be expected of the Green Beast of Konoha.

Neji smiled slightly at his teammates as they started bickering, Tenten protesting once more that they couldn't have the same stamina as him. His eyes scanned the land around them, looking for a more sheltered place to set up camp.

"Lee, Tenten." He said, getting their attention. "Lets go." With that, he leaped off to their right, leading them through the trees to a small stream. The banks were rocky and provided sufficient cover for the night. "We'll set up camp here." He told them, shrugging off his pack. Tenten also set down her large scrolls. Lee set off to gather firewood after a nod from Neji that it was safe to. The Hyuuga sat down to meditate as Tenten set up traps around their camp. It was their usual routine.

"Your eyes OK?" Tenten asked him softly as she returned some ten minutes later. He didn't move from his meditating position, just opened his eyes to look at her.

"A little sore." He admitted at length. There was no point in lying to her; their routine was created to work around this. In truth, the Byakugan didn't take up large amounts of chakra, but long periods of use rendered his eyes sore and irritable, something that actually detracted from his sight. That was the main reason why he always had middle watch; it gave him enough time to recover from the day's use and, afterwards, from the night watch, so that he'd be ready for the day's work.

"OK." She replied, twirling a kunai around her fingers. She knew without being told that she had first watch. Neji smiled at her and she returned the smile, neither looking up as their third teammate returned, carrying enough wood to last them through the night.

"Yosh! Mission complete! And if it doesn't last us through the night, I'll run the rest of the way to our target on my hands!" he proclaimed, but sat himself down. They all knew to conserve their energy as much as possible.

The three ate during light conversation, then Neji packed his bowl away and unrolled his sleeping sack. It was a silent signal to both of his teammates that it was bedtime, and to shut the hell up and let him get some sleep. Both obeyed. Lee did the same as him and settled down to sleep, while Tenten chakra-climbed into a tree that overlooked their camp and settled down for her watch. Two hours later, she woke Neji, who in turn woke Lee three hours later. Their green-clad teammate woke them just after sunrise, having just revitalized the fire that had burnt low during the night. Both members of Team Gai were weary, but woke quickly and packed their belongings. They had time for a quick breakfast before departing, letting neji lead them back to their path and onwards.

As they had expected, it took them until early afternoon to reach their target area. Now, Neji led them with far greater caution. The squad kept to the higher branches, using thick foliage and shadows as much as they could to conceal themselves from passing gazes. Neji extended his Byakugan range as far as he could, straining his eyes to check for anyone heading their way. They could ill afford to be ambushed by the ninja they'd been sent to kill.

Another low whistle from Neji had them stop on the perimeter of the area they suspected the hideout to be. Lee and Tenten froze in place and turned to look at him, approaching him so that he wouldn't have to raise his voice.

"We'll rest here for a moment and catch our breath." He told them, really wanting to deactivate his Byakugan. His eyes were burning and stinging from its intense, extended use. "We may be here for a few days, so we'll scout the area around our target location for a suitable cubby-hole and settle. If we're to scout out their hideout tonight, I need to rest my eyes."

Tenten nodded and Lee gave him a Nice Guy pose. They looked around, standing ready as Neji strained his vision even further, searching the valleys, streams and gulleys for a good hiding place. The forest around them was lush in greenery, riddled with plenty of water rivulets and streams; Waterfall country was aptly named, after all. Finding such a location only ten minutes from where they now stood, he led his teammates through the trees, only allowing pause enough for them to refill their water canteens and drink their fill before he led them through a fissure in a rock. It was a tight squeeze, especially for his tall build and Lee's muscle, but they managed to slip into the small cave- if the hollow in the rockface could even be called that. The opening crack was so narrow and half-submerged in water, shielding them sufficienty from outside scrutiny.

Once inside, Neji gave their surroundings one last pass before deactivating his doujutsu and immediately pressing his palms against his thistle-colored eyes, snarling in pain. Lee patted his arm as he took his pack for him, stowing it in the corner. Tenten simply took out a roll of bandages from her medic-kit and soaked it in water, handing him it. Gratefully, the Hyuuga pressed it against his eyes.

"We'll take care of setting up camp." She told him, setting about laying out their sleeping sacks. Lee broke out some energy bars, handing them out. The three sat down in a circle, munching quietly, each wrapped in their own thoughts. After a few minutes' silence, Tenten sighed and scrunched the wrapper of her food up. "How long do you want us here, Neji?" she asked her childhood sparring partner, gazing at him, at the white hand that was still clutching the cold bandages to his eyes. She took care to keep her voice low, for fear of it echoing and alerting foes to their whereabouts.

"We should leave within the next twenty minutes." He told her. "I want to scan the area and find our targets before nightfall. It'll be impossible then, even for me. We'll form a battle plan accordingly, and either inform Konoha or prepare for a raid." He answered, lowering the soothing rag from his face. It had helped, and now he had more important things to focus on, like the mission.

"A youthful plan!" Lee proclaimed, the portrait of excitement and determination. Tenten just smiled and clasped Neji's wrist, bringing the cloth towards his face. He blinked at her, then sighed and allowed it to relieve him further.

"We need you at your best." Was all she said.

A quarter of an hour later, the three shinobi squeezed out of their hideout once more, heading for a different point of their target's perimeter. Neji kept an eye out for anyone in their surrounding area approaching, but it was quiet. Somehow, the tranquility and solitude only raised their disquiet. As they reached the perimeter, they dropped to the ground, concealing themselves in some bushes.

"Be still." Neji whispered quietly, knowing his order was quite unnecessary; they knew him through and through as he knew them. Focusing on the task at hand, Neji faced ahead and concentrated his sight on the acres in front of him, his gaze passing through and over every rock, every stream and every bush. It didn't take him long to find the first scout; a chakra system on top of a tree some four hundred meters to their west. Within a few hundred meters of the first, he found several more. "I'm getting close." He told his teammates, not bothering to explain fully yet. Within twenty minutes, he'd found it.

The Stone-nins' hideout was mostly underground, as was to be expected. The entrance was a small cave located behind a small waterfall. So far, Neji had been able to find three guards guarding the entrance and another four scouts around the area. The hideout itself had four floors, with what he must have counted as another twelve shinobi residing within.

Deactivating his Byakugan, he motioned for his teammates to follow him back to their camp. Seeing the veins around his eyes retract calmed them slightly, but neither let their guard down; that was how one died in the shinobi world. Still, they were impatient for their teammate to share what his eyes had seen with them.

Neji waited until they were safe in their camp again before explaining. Still, he pressed the cool bandages against his eyes once more, hoping to relieve his strained, pearlescent orbs before the ordeal that was to come. When his teammates learnt of what he had seen, their reaction was mixed. Neji didn't even have to lower the bandages; he'd anticipated the way they'd both deal with the news beforehand.

On the one hand, Lee flashed them a blinding smile, fists clenching in anticipation. "Yosh!" he exclaimed. "This will be a perfect chance to prove the power of youth victorious!"

"Lee, quiet down!" On the other hand, Tenten, Neji was sure, would be far more skeptical. He was proven right. "So, in total there are nineteen shinobi. Fifteen if we manage to bypass the scouts, but we'll still have to deal with them. Those odds are suicidal, Neji! You can't honestly be considering to take them on, right?"

Neji sighed at her words. "Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have even entertained the thought." He replied to both of them at the same time. "But in our current situation, I believe we might have a chance. Help from Konoha won't arrive for another two days at least, and as it is, our teams are stretched thin. With my sight and your aim, we can take the scouts out from a safe distance without engaging. That would leave fifteen. Of those, the three are isolated within the cave. If we lure them out, we'll have the advantage."

"And the other twelve? We'll be outnumbered four to one!"

"I know!" he snapped, making her frown more deeply. "But help from Konoha is too far away for us to be able to wait for it. Our food supplies can barely last us two days, never mind it if we have to engage in combat beforehand. Rather than _be _ambushed, I'd rather ambush them myself." He sighed. "Besides, our current camp site is vulnerable to them. Their Earth ninjutsu could wreak havoc on us here."

"Neji has a point, Tenten." Lee said seriously. The kunoichi glanced from one to the other, sighing. "Ask for help from Konoha, anyway. We may need it."

"And what if we don't?"

"At least write and tell them our decision." She pressed.

"That, I will." Neji replied pacifyingly and patted her hand, then took out a messenger scroll and began to write. The rest of the day passed quickly, taken up by rest, planning and plotting. Neji summoned a hawk to send the message off, watching it until it reached the perimeter of his vision safely, then set about organizing their nightly expedition.

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><p>"If this doesn't work, so help me, Neji." Tenten said as they headed out that dusk, fully rested and with a mission. He led his teammates towards the nearest scout. They'd have only one chance at silencing him, and they had to be quick.<p>

"He's looking away from you." Neji said in a whisper so low it was like the wind. Tenten nodded and held the senbon in her hand steady, taking aim. She could barely see him through the thich foliage she was hidden in. Even from this distance, she was confident she could hit him. "Remember, right in the spine."

"I know Neji, I know." She whispered back, letting loose with her deadly missile. It hissed through the air and straight into the enemy shinobi's brain stem, killing him instantly. Neji only hoped that the thud of his body on the ground wouldn't attract the other scouts. Lee shot forth in the now clean area, dragging the body into the shade of a hyacinth bush.

Together, the three moved on to the next scout, repeating the process. In this way, they managed to take out all four scouts. Only one scout noticed the needle heading for his head and managed to avoid it. He called out once, but Lee was on him. With one Shadow of the Dancing Leaf, he was out for the count. Tenten made sure he stayed quiet by slitting his throat. She detested killing in cold blood like this, but leaving him alive held far too many dangers.

between keeping her conscience clean and protecting the two males with her, she chose the second without hesitation.

We move." Neji whispered as soon as the man in front of them had no more breath in him. "These were low-level shinobi to have not detected an assault. Let us hope that the guards inside are just as easy to deal with." He told his teammates, leading them through the trees for the next 500 meters that separated them from the entrance to the underground hideout.

As they came into view of the small waterfall, the Leaf-nin paused. The plan had been to try and draw them out of the cave, where they had the advantage. Properly concealed, Tenten took out a kunai with three explosive tags attacked and hurled it back the way they had came. Five seconds later, it exploded loudly. They held their breath, waiting to see if their foes would rise to the bait.

They didn't.

Apparently, these shinobi were better trained than the scouts had been. They didn't abandon their positions to chase after what might be an assault or an attempt to distract them. They knew that, if an enemy were in the vicinity, they would come to them. Leaving their advantage could cost them dearly.

neji cursed at the situation they were in. They could easily throw another exploding kunai into the cavern, but they would be risking collapse and it was their only way of entry. None of the three had Earth chakra with which to open up another passageway. The only way would be to explode one open, and that would leave them vulnerable. "Come on!" he called, rising from his crouch and sprinting to close with their opponents. He saw one start to form seals and called a warning to his teammates, the three scattering as a boulder shot out of the water in front of the waterfall and crashed where they would have been had they not moved.

Lee was the first through the sheet of water, his Dynamic Entry surprising his opponents, who had to use their hands to defend themselves. Neji and Tenten followed right behind Lee, each engaging a different opponent to allow their teammate to pass from defense to offense. For all three, it was a difficult fight. The ninja in front of them were at least Chuunin and good at avoiding blows. Tenten was holding her foe off with a katana, jaw clenched as she battled with him. He was using kunai to defend himself and strike; he was a competent knife-fighter, she found. Lee was having more luck than her. He'd originally managed to wound his opponent with his Dynamic Entry, thus the ninja could only use one of his hands to defend himself. He couldn't cast seals, and was quickly taken out. Once his opponent fell, Lee turned to help Tenten with her battle.

Neji was doing similarly. His opponent was skilled and seemed to know to avoid even the barest of contact with the Hyuuga. He managed to cast one jutsu that sent Neji flying backwards, a sharpened rock blade piercing his shoulder. Confident of victory, the ninja took out his kunai and got ready to end Neji's life. What he hadn't expected was for the Hyuuga to pull his good arm back and yell "Air Palm!" The wall of chakra that hit him sent him flying backwards, right into Tenten's katana's welcoming embrace of death.

"Are you OK?" Tenten asked him as he unpinned himself, crushing the rock with a Juuken strike. She had a nasty cut on her cheek that was dripping blood onto her white shirt. He couldn't clearly see any other injuries, though there was blood on her shirt. Lee, on the other hand, had a large bruise coming up on his cheek.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He replied, shaking his shoulder. The wound was clean and small, but still quite painful. At least the stone hadn't gone through the joint. He only had to tie a bandage around it to stop the blood flow as a temporary solution; they'd tend to their wounds later, when they had the luxury of sitting around.

With two fingers, neji led them through the cave to the back wall, where there was a large hole in the cave floor. "They heard the commotion." He breathed softly. "They're in wait for us. Four in the first room, another four waiting to ambush us in the next. The lower floors have been emptied; they're all waiting for us up ahead."

"This'll be easier than expected! Our foes even came to meet us!" Lee said happily, though both his teammates knew it was faked to mask his seriousness.

"Let me go first, Neji." Tenten whispered, sealing her katana and exchanging it for a kusarigama. Her friend and comrade nodded, letting her walk in front of him., As the three dropped down to the floor below, Tenten struck like a wildcat with her beloved weapon. These ninjas weren't so weak, however, and leaped out of harm's way. The kunoichi was now at a disadvantage as her teammates connected with their foes; she was a long-range fighter and being constricted in the small room wasn't helping.

"Earth Style, Stalactite jutsu!" she heard someone yell. Neji and Lee, who had been fighting hand=-to-hand with three opponents, leaped out of the way as three razor-sharp stalactites crashed into the spot they'd just been in.

"Konoha Whirlwind!" Lee cried. Neji ducked as his teammate flew over his head, knocking one opponent into the wall behind them. A death missile ended his life, courtesy of Tenten. The female had problems of her own, however, as the ninja in front of her sent up a smokescreen. She shielded her mouth and nose, trying in vain to see through the smoke.

"Kaiten!" she heard a familiar voice and a dome of blue chakra encircled her. She could feel Neji's long hair whipping her face as he spun rapidly right in front of her, shielding her from something she couldn't see. The circular spin dissipated the smokescreen, revealing two opponents left; apparently one had been caught in Neji's jutsu.

"Hyaaaa!" came a battle cry from Lee as he slammed into one of the two. Neji rushed to aid his teammate, managing to take him out with a fatally gentle tap to the back. The blood that spurted out of his opponent's mouth belied the depth of the injury. Tenten took out the remaining one with her senbon, but didn't manage to escape from his jutsu; a rock cocoon encased her up to her waist, making her unable to move. Lee rushed to her aid, smashing the rock with his foot, but hurting her in the process. As Lee helped her up, Neji focused on his teammates, distracted for a second.

That was all it took.

The ninja from the next room stormed in, taking them by surprise for a moment. Neji cried out in pain and stumbled, several kunai embedded in his back. Almost amused, he thought of his fight with Kidoumaru and he had almost died.

_Not this time!_

Just as his teammates called out, Neji spun on the sole of his foot and grabbed two shinobi, starting the Kaiten with them in his grasp. The resulting carnage made Tenten almost want to heave as the shinobi were torn limb-to-limb by the rotating chakra, blood and gore splashing all around the Hyuuga. The other ninja gaped in horror, frozen in fear. Tenten needed no other message to take him out with her kodachi, immobilizing him with the chair and slashing his throat open.

"Five to go…" Neji said, straightening. He looked pale, but other than that gave no indication that he was bleeding out. He swayed for a moment, then regained his focus.

"Neji," Tenten began in protest, limping towards him. She could hardly walk from the enemy's jutsu. Only Lee seemed mostly unaffected. He had bruises, but his injuries stopped at that.

"They've gathered in the floor below. I don't think they know I can see them. Two are gathered in the first room, the others in the second. They've buried themselves in the walls."

"Can't we blow them up? Tenten suggested in a whisper. "We have to take the place down anyway."

"Not before examining what they were up to first." He disagreed. "besides, buried in the rock, they might just survive. Good to go, Lee?"

"Yosh, my youthful rival!" came the eager response from where Lee was jogging on the spot.

"Then we go." With those words, the team fell down to the room below which, just like the other two above, was a small, metal room with desks and some bunk beds. As they entered, the ninja concealed in the walls shot out, showering them with small, razor-sharp rock and stone fragments. Neji managed to shield himself and Tenten, but Lee was turned into a pincushion, those particles not deflected by Neji's Kaiten slicing and embedding themselves into his arms legs and torso.

"Lee!" Tenten cried, enraged, charging one of the shinobi responsible, kodachi raised. Neji engaged the other, striking with extreme speed out of pure anger and almost blew the man's chest out. Tenten's attack was just as viscious; her foe managed to dodge her attacks quite effectively, even managing to get a punch or kick in. Despite her best efforts, Tenten couldn't graze her. That was, of course, until barreled into him, driving his knee into the woman's neck. An audible crack was heard as her neck snapped and she collapsed.

This time, there was no room for thought, no time to communicate. The three Leaf-nin rushed into the next room, leaving a trail of blood in ther wake, some of it theirs, some of it not. Neji's eyes sought out the shinobi concealed in the floor and, with his indication, Lee slammed his foot into the ground much like Sakura used her fist. Surprised that they'd been found so easily, the shinobi were thrown roughly upwards, meeting the graceful arc of death Tenten threw their way.

It was over.

Around them, bodies lay bleeding on the floor, some even still merged with the ground. The squad stood panting and shaking, blood trickling down their every limb. Neji checked once more for any foes, but found the place empty. He collapsed to his knees, Byakugan deactivating. Beside him, Lee was panting and picking the fragments of rock out of his body, wincing despite his training.

"We check this place, destroy it and leave." Neji snarled almost, both in fatigue and irritation. He, like his teammates, had spent a very great amount of their chakra in defeating their enemies and was near spent. Wordlessly, the others nodded and followed him into the lower floors. The three were nearly sick at the sight of what the Stone-nin had been preparing: it looked like vials and vials of a yellow-green gas. 'Chlorine gas' Tenten provided, explaining the basis of such warfare. One sniff of this gas could kill a human being.

"Will it be alright if we blow it up?" Lee asked her and she nodded.

"It should. The ammonia in the ground all around us should combine nicely with it and form exploding substances." She sighed. "In the end, they helped us destroy this place.

Neji only nodded, picking up what seemed like a thick record book, stuffing it into his pack. "Then set up your explosives and lets go." He told her. The kunoichi nodded and set the explosive tags, following her companions upstairs. They checked the other floors, but it appeared only the last floor had anything pertaining to the enemy nins' mission. The rest was beds and work areas. Tenten placed explosives in these areas as well.

Once outside and at a safe enough distance, the kunoichi activated them all with her chakra. The resulting explosion was so huge that even they, far away even though they were, were sent flying backwards off their feet, blinded temporarily by the very bright light. In took them over five minutes to recover, especially considering their injuries. It took them all theyr had to drag themselves up and return to their camp. Neji was glad that they had to wade into the water to reach their base; it would wash away the blood and break their track.

Once inside, the three collapsed onto the ground, resting like that for a moment. Tenten was the first one to groan and drag herself over to her pack, taking out her med-kit. First, she patched up Neji, who was bleeding out in more places than either of them. Despite the Hyuuga's suppressed grunts, she cleaned the wounds and stitched them up, cutting the thread with her teeth. They would have to be seen by a medic-nin later. She did the same for Lee, helping him remove the remaining stone fragments and sealing his wounds. She couldn't take car eof herself, however, by now far too weary. Neji did it for her, having recovered enough in the few minutes' rest to see to her own wounds, primarily the nasty cut on her cheek and the slash across the back she'd acquired sometime during the infiltration. He cursed himself for not noticing, berating himself endlessly. But soon, even he was far to weary to even think.

It was all the three could do to munch on some energy bars and crawl into their sleeping sacks, falling quickly asleep. Morning had almost come, but they needed the rest to recover. They didn't think of a watch; none of them could have taken it, anyway.

Despite their exhaustion, they only got three hours' sleep. Neji rose with a groan, waking the other two. "Come on, we have to return.." he said, his voice hoarse. The others were in no better shape. After a quick, silent breakfast, they packed their things and squeezed through that small opening for the very last time. Despite the pain their injuries was giving them, all three were eager to return home, to heal their injuries and go _home._Or to the hospital, more likely. They just wanted to leave this mission behind them.

Their pace was slow as they ran through the treetops, aiming for Konoha. None spoke, conserving the little energy they had managed to recover during the small hours of dawn. By early afternoon, they had managed to reach the borders with Fire Country, despite their slower pace. They'd only been late by an hour or so.

None of them had their guard up. Not even Neji had his Byakugan activated, both because he was far too tired to do so and because they didn't expect pursuit. Pursuit should be dead.

Apparently not.

The Leaf-nin realized it too late as the tree in front of them exploded, sending them flying to the ground.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>I hope that was as fun to read as it was to write it. ^_^ Reviews are very much welcome. XD

Look forward to the next chapter, Unexpected Circumstances!


	3. Unexpected Circumstances

**All the reviews are wonderful, guys. ^_^ You all know how rewarding it is for a writer when people actively say they like a story. As some of you have been told, GWTW has been planned and, currently, will update one per week, usually on Mondays. I am in no way tying myself to that schedule, however. Updates might be early or late, depending on my inspiration and schedule. For example, this week, the update was late.**

Now, on to the next chapter.

Disclaimer: As always, I do not own the characters and universe of Naruto.

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><p><strong>Chapter Three – Unexpected Circumstances<strong>

It was an ambush.

The three Konoha shinobi groaned as their tired, battered forms hit the leafy forest ground, the wind knocked out of them. Tenten was the first to recover as tshe was the least fatigued out of the three, rolling onto her back and throwing three kunai in the surrounding trees. She didn't hope to hit their attackers, only perhaps keep them off them for a few more precious seconds while her teammates recovered. Several feet away, Lee recovered his senses and twisted his body out of the way just in time to evade a chain that had shot out of the trees, a blade attached to the end of it.

"There!" Tenten yelled, on her knees now. As she rose, she let loose a hail of senbon, aiming for the direction the weapon had appeared from.

"Tenten!" she suddenly heard Neji cry and the sound of swishing fabric reached her ears. Instinctively, she fell to one knee as they'd practiced, seeing Neji's chakra dome appear around them as he skidded to a halt beside her and, using his momentum, shielded her with the Kaiten from what must have been a shower of rocks. As he pulled out of the spin, she rose and stood back to back with him, Lee joining them. The three shinobi held a kunai at the ready, their eyes scanning the trees around them. The explosion had taken out several trees, leaving them in a makeshift clearing scattered with semi-burnt chunks of wood. Tenten wasn't sure if her teammates had been injured; there had been no time to check. She could feel her shoulder burning wildly from where a large splinter of wood had entered it but, apart from that, she could only count some shallow wounds and small bruises, perhaps a light burn on her cheeks. Beside her, she could feel lee shaking, perhaps from his previous injuries, perhaps from fresh ones. Neji she could tell wasn't shaking, but she was surprised to hear him pant. Until she realized that she, too, was having trouble catching her breath.

"How many?" Lee asked in a quiet voice, arms raised in a ready fighting position.

"Four." He answered, his voice breathless. It suddenly struck Tenten that he must have been using his Byakugan and perhaps that was straining him. After all, out of the three of them, he had expended the most chakra. She wasn't sure if he'd recovered enough for this fight. She wasn't sure for any of them. "They bear the headband of the Sound. One at two o' clock, two at six and one at eight."

"Yosh! Let us complete our mission!" lee exclaimed, leaving his two teammates and running at insane speed towards the enemy at two o clock.

"Lee!" Tenten called as the earth in front of him rose, but the taijutsu- expert simply used it as a foothold to launch himself into the trees.

"Watch it!" Neji hissed as the ground beneath their feet suddenly cracked open. The two ninja leaped out of the way in time, Tenten having to avoid the chained weapon again. With a cry, she leaped into the air, twisting and twirling as she called upon her summoning scrolls, whirling her favorite kusarigama. She avoided the blade again, leaping on top of the chain and running along its length towards her opponent. The chain under her sandaled feet sudden fell slack and she leaped off, taking to the branches to face her opponent.

The kunoichi found herself faced with two women of approximately twenty years of age, so alike they could have been siblings. They both had long, sandy hair tied back in a ponytail and dark brown eyes. More importantly, both wore an enraged snarl on their lips.

As Tenten swung her weapon of choice, one countered it with another chain, holding her in place, while the other drew back and formed seals. _Shit._ Tenten thought as she barely leaped out of the way in time to avoid getting crushed as another tree fell over, right where she had been standing. She drew several kunai and threw them with force at her opponents. She noticed that, whil the sister bearing the chain used her weapon to parry the kunai aimed at her, her sister had to dodge. _A weapons user and a ninjutsu user._She concluded, a slight smile touching her lips. Bending her knees, she leaped into the air once more, blocking the chain with a kunai and twisting, her scrolls twirling around her.

"Rising Twin Dragons!" she proclaimed, a large number of summoned kunai, sendon and shuriken thrown at the two kunoichi. She sent only a few weapons at the weapons mistress, only enough to force her to have to parry. The bulk of her arsenal she kept for the ninjutsu expert, who had to dodge frantically. Several weapons grazed her and two senbon and a shuriken found their mark, wounding her, but not terminally.

At least, that's what it seemed. Because the senbon had been poisoned.

Tenten watched with grim accordance as the senbon that had landed near her heart was yanked out, a shriek released from the woman. She began to form seals, but was unable to complete her jutsu as her limbs began to lock in paralysis. Tenten drew her katana and lunged for her, but had to draw back as she kunoichi's sister ran to her defense, kicking Tenten out of the way. The bun-haired Konoha ninja moaned as her enemy's boot connected with her back, where she'd been slashed only the previous night. Overcome with pain, she fell towards the forest floor, hearing two screams above her head. Vaguely, the sound of 'Air Palm!" reached her ears and strong arms caught her before she could hit the ground.

She winced as Neji set her on her feet, only glancing at her. "You OK?"

"Yes." The battlefield didn't allow for more communication than that.

"I managed to get them by surprise. It seems the one wielding the chained weapon is out, but the other one is still alive." He told her, his lavender eyes unblinking. The veins around them had bulged out, but they seemed to be throbbing, as if it was taking far more than usual to sustain the Byakugan. Both their panting had gotten far worse, Tenten noted automatically, and he was bleeding from the stabs in his back again. From the warm trickle against her back, she might have broken her stitches, too.

"Wait!" Neji said suddenly, eyes narrowing. At the same time, the dust under their feet rose into a choking cloud, blocking their vision. |

_A smokescreen._Tenten realized, her eyes watering and she had to cover her mouth. She coughed involuntarily and, apparently, it was the only thing her opponent needed.

_"Down!"_Neji suddenly yelled right in her ear and, unable to think, she did as he commanded, gasping as the rapid spin of his chakra cleared the air and shielded her from the incoming kunai. With a snarl, the Hyuuga leaped off the ground and into the trees, leaving her crouched amidst the leaves.

Apparently, their attacker hadn't counted on the Byakugan. As Neji appeared in front of her, thistle eyes flashing in anger, she lost her footing as she tried to back away. It was all Neji needed. The young man landed in front of her and spread his arms and legs, tilting slightly forwards in his familiar stance. His eyes met the surprised ones of the kunoichi before him before he struck, faster than a snake.

"Eight Triagrams, sixty four palms!" he called as nimble fingers struck the woman's body, sealing off the chakra points in her body closest to her vital organs. The enemy was propelled into a tree behind her from the momentum of the hit, leaving an imprint in the tree bark. "Juuken!" Neji snarled, slamming his palm against the kunoichi's chest, making blood spurt out of her mouth and his opponent drop dead at his feet.

The Hyuuga stood for a moment, his limbs shaking. One quick survey with his Byakugan showed that no more fighting was going on and, in relief, he deactivated his Byakugan, feeling how his eyes were burning from his use of the bloodlimit. As he dropped down to Tenten, he stumbled out of chakra depletion, having rarely felt so entirely spent. His wounds ached and, during his fight with his own opponent, he'd acquired a fresh cut across his chest.

Tenten didn't seem to be much better off. From the way she was still crouched on the floor, she was exhausted and could barely move. Now that the adrenaline from the fight had worn off, both of them felt how tired they really were. The burns on their faces from the explosion stung.

"Here. Let me." Neji said, pulling Tenten to her feet and motioning to the wood splinter in her shoulder.

"Lets find Lee first." She disagreed, straightening without his help. Like him, she was panting and wanted nothing more than to sit down, rest and tend to her injuries, but her worry for her teammate came first. Neji nodded in agreement and the two ran towards the direction Lee had gone in despite the heavy mantle of fatigue weighing down on their shoulders.

When they reached the fresh clearing, there was no sign of their green-clad teammate. Starting to worry, the two hurried through, looking for him here and there. As they entered the trees on the other side, they soon came across the last Stone-nin lying in a small crater in the ground. From the angle his head was in, Tenten surmised that his neck had snapped on impact.

Neji hardly spared the enemy shinobi a glance as he pressed forwards, his eyes only looking for his teammate.

Several paces ahead, they found him.

"_Lee!_" Tenten screeched as she saw her teammate lying against a tree, his head slumped forwards. She was frozen in place for a moment, her amber eyes wide and disbelieving as she could only stare at him, at their teammate, lying so still.

Neji was frozen for a moment as well, but her shriek broke the spell. His foot digging into the ground, he shot forwards and was at his side in seconds, checking with trembling hands for a pulse. He wasn't surprised when he didn't find one, however. As he approached, he saw the way Lee's eyes stared blankly into his lap, saw the blood still trickling from the slash in his throat.

The Hyuuga fell to his knees in front of his teammate, his hand limp against the young man's neck, still slightly warm, with cool blood running down his fingers. His pale eyes were wide and shocked, staring at his friend and comrade disbelievingly. Behind him, Tenten's mouth had dropped open subconsciously, her expression mirroring Neji's.

Neither moved.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>That was a bit less dramatic than planned, but I thought you might be tired with the constant battle scenes. I promise this is the last one for the duration of this fanfiction, not counting any spars that might occur later on.

This is where the plot _really_starts to unfurl.

As always, reviews are more than welcome and I hope you have enjoyed the story so far. ^_^

Look forward to the next chapter, Unbearable Anguish! ( 6 – 13 – 11)


	4. Unbearable Anguish

**Thank you to all my readers that have so far enjoyed this story. ^_^ Updates might be coming faster from here on, as I'm really going to enjoy writing the following chapters. I even have one of them pre-written, so I hope you're looking forward to it!**

**Competition Notice: For those of you who're quite observant, I've buried a cookie in the story. The first one to find it will be awarded either with being sent three future chapters before they are posted for everyone to read or he/she will be able to suggest a scene he/she wants to see featuring the Naruto characters. The scene will either be written into this story or a separate one-shot. This competition starts as of now and will run during the entire fanfic.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the universe of Naruto, nor do I own its characters.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Four: Unbearable Anguish<strong>

It was cold. A slight breeze rustled through the trees, creating a soothing melody. Rain clouds had gathered, blocking out the sun and casting gray shadows on the silent, black-clad people that had gathered below the pending storm. Eyes were downcast, staring at the hard earth beneath their feet, or at each other, giving and taking solace. The wind spiked up, chilling the mourners, but no one complained about the weather. No one made a move to head home, where they would be safe from the coming rain.

In truth, Hyuuga Neji would have had it no other way.

Pearly lavender eyes gazed up at the storm clouds, a passive expression on his face. The heavens reflected his heart at that moment: stormy and bleak, without a sliver of hope or warmth. He felt cold, cold to the bone, and distant. People shot him worried, curious or sympathetic looks, but he knew none really understood what he was going through. Not even Tenten. The kunoichi was standing by his side, face wrought with grief. Her hair wasn't tied in her usual twin buns, but instead hung loose around her shoulders. Neji wasn't even in the state of mind to admire his teammate's beauty.

Though he would never admit to it, Hyuuga Neji preferred the stormy skies because he'd have no one, not even Nature, being happy during his teammate's funeral.

A warm hand slipped into his and he knew even without looking that it was Tenten's. her slender fingers intertwined with his own. He realized she was shaking slightly. He squeezed her hand gently, giving her no other sign that he was even aware of her. His eyes had turned away from the heavens and were staring now at the memorial stone where his friend and teammate's name had been carved.

_Rock Lee._

Feeling as if tears were going to rise, Neji looked away, towards where they had dug the grave. His coffin had been placed inside, and now they were covering it, burying him. Covering everything that had been him.

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><p><em>The two ninja were frozen in their respective positions for what felt like hours, but in truth must have only been minutes. Suddenly, Neji jumped the most frightening noise he'd ever heard came from behind him. Dragging his eyes off his dead teammate's prone form, he turned around in exhaustion, brandishing a kunai, to be met with an appropriately terrifying sight.<em>

_Tenten had fallen to her knees, arms and head on the ground in front of her. Her entire body was shaking violently as she cried like a keening bird, each sob almost wrenched out of her tortured form._

_Neji stood rooted to the spot, thistle eyes wide as he stared at his comrade. He'd never seen her cry before, never mind wail and clutch at her own hair like that. The sick feeling in his gut vanished suddenly and a tight knot replaced it. With a superhuman effort, he reigned his own pain and grief aside, walking slowly towards Tenten and grasping her by the shoulders._

_"Tenten." His voice was soft, frail. It frightened him even more, but his next effort didn't do much to ameliorate his tone. "Tenten… Get up. We have to leave." A sob answered him. "Come on.." he continued, begging her. The little control he'd gathered in the moment of need wavered and threatened to fail him, but he knew he had to do this. "We need to get him back to Konoha." He told her in a soothing, quiet voice, heaving her to her feet despite his own injuries and fatigue. Even though she was still crying, he pulled her into a rare hug, holding her tightly. At first, she didn't respond, but then her arms went around him to clutch him tightly. She cried into his shoulder for several minutes before he withdrew and wiped her eyes, effectively streaking dirt across her cheeks. "Come on." He repeated, hoping she'd follow. Though fresh tears replaced the previous ones, the kunoichi nodded, wiping them away herself. She had a blank expression on her face, much like his own._

_Neji simply nodded at her and walked back to their fallen comrade, grunting as he heaved the dead shinobi onto his back. Lee was just as heavy as he was, if not more with his leg weights. Neji didn't remove them, however, knowing Lee would have liked them with him. Instead, he made sure to close his eyes then, with a look at Tenten, he began to lead the way back to Konoha._

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><p>Neji blinked as he tried to suppress the painful memories, memories he wished he could forget. He was sure they would haunt him for the rest of his life, both during his waking and sleeping moments. He couldn't close his eyes without seeing Lee's white face, purple shadows starting to form under his eyes, those dead, glassy eyes…<p>

With a jerk of his head, Neji attempted to shake that image out of his head, his jaw clenched. A low grunt escaped him, despite his best efforts, drawing the worried looks of Hinata and Naruto. His cousin had positioned herself away from her team and close to Neji, hoping to comfort him should he require it, or simply show quiet support. Her lavender eyes were filled with pain, but also worry. Worry for him, Neji noted without any emotion whatsoever. The knuckleheaded ninja, on the other hand, briefly met his eyes, then looked to the side. Just as unemotionally as before, Neji noted how Naruto was suppressing any sparks of anger. Instead, his bright blue eyes were downcast, staring at the hard ground.

Behind him, Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulders, but made no other move. The silver-haired shinobi was discretely watching over his rival's students, worried about how he was going to break the news to his friend that his protégé had been killed in action.

Neji didn't care about the others around him right then. To him, all their words were empty, useless. They didn't know what it was like to lose a teammate, a teammate you were supposed to be responsible. A teammate whose life was in your hands. Despite himself, Neji was sure that it was his carelessness that had led to Lee's death.

_It's all my fault._ He thought, staring as the last spadeful of dirt was thrown and leveled over the wooden coffin bearing his friend, still clad in his favorite green spandex suit and leg warmers.

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><p><em>The run back towards Konoha was the hardest thing Neji had ever done in his life. The weight on his back burdened him both metaphorically and literally, a weight on his body and conscience. He wouldn't allow himself to think about it, however, and instead focused on keeping his remaining teammate alive.<em>

Tenten.

_He kept the kunoichi running in front of him, where he could see her. He could see how her shoulders were slack, but he was grateful that she still found the strength to put one foot in front of the other, like he was doing._

_Their exhaustion was great, though, and soon he had to call them to a halt. Tenten turned and gave him a look that almost made him melt; the desperation and pleading in her eyes, longing to keep moving, made him wish he could allow her to burn herself out. As they were, however, they couldn't go any further._

_"We'll only stop to catch our breath." He promised her softly, setting Lee down gently and crossing his arms in his lap. Looking up at her, he sat himself down and beckoned for her to go to him. Mechanically, she obeyed. Her movements were fluid and robotic, like his. He sighed and placed his arms around her shoulders as she sat down beside him, pulling her closer against him. Tenten's arms snaked around his torso again, but he was glad that she didn't cry. He couldn't stand to see her cry again. The sight had only made him despair._

_Despite his words, the two drifted off into a troubled slumber for two to three hours, each waking up every few minutes. They didn't let go of each other, aware that they both needed any support the other had to offer. Tenten noted how distraught Neji looked in sleep; his face was chalk white and his mouth pressed into a tight line, eyebrows furrowed. It made her feel guilty for not allowing him to grieve, for forcing him to take on the burden of their situation alone while she was paralyzed, helpless. She didn't do anything, however, just buried her face against his chest, holding back her tears as she caught a glimpse of Lee._

_Neji woke to find her like that one and a half hours later. For a moment, he was confused, then the weight of their reality came crashing on top of him, making his shoulders hunch. He clutched her to him, burying his face into her hair and inhaling her scent. He took deep breaths to steady the shaking in his body, then woke Tenten with a gentle shake. "Come on. We have to go." He told her softly, helping her to her feet, then bearing the weight once more._

_They arrived in Konoha as the sun was setting._

_Tired and battered, with tear streaks through the dirt on their faces, the two Leaf-nin arrived at the gates to the Hidden leaf Village, scarcely believing they made it. They paused outside, staring up at the Leaf emblem carved into the wood above the gates, neither having the courage to enter their home. Neji was the first to brace himself and take the first step into the village, making the guards look up and stare at the two battered ninja. Their various wounds were poorly taken care of and had bled in several places, but what drew their attention was the lifeless hulk of a Green Beast that the Hyuuga was carrying. Both guards rose to their feet, but Neji didn't even pause, walking past them without a word. Tenten was by his side, her face stony._

_In silent agreement, the two teammates headed straight for the hospital, where the med-nins would take care of their friend and prepare him for what was to come. Neither even gave a thought to reporting to the Hokage. The mission lay, deeply forgotten. The streets were quiet at that hour, but people were still about. Many stopped and stared in awe and revulsion as the pair walked down the roads, gawking at the corpse they were carrying. Tenten was aware of louder noises approaching their way from their left, but didn't turn to look until someone called their names. She stopped walking, Neji following her example only several steps ahead. Neither turned, nor said a word._

_Naruto rushed over, holding three dango sticks in his right hand. His was grinning as he called their names, but froze in his tracks once he saw how they looked, Lee's prone form on Neji's back. Instantly, he dropped the dango and rushed to them, looking distressed._

_"Bushy-Eyebrows! What happened? How did he get hurt?" he demanded, not understanding why both members of Team Gai were avoiding his eyes. "Don't just stand there! We have to get him to Granny Tsunade! She'll fix him up in no time!"_

_"No." Neji said softly, looking in the opposite direction of Naruto. His tone seemed arrogant to Naruto, aloof. It only enraged the Nine Tails' Jinchuuriki._

_"What do you mean, 'no'?" he growled, moving towards him to take the body off him. "Whatever it is, Sakura-chan and Granny Tsunade can take care of it! Don't be such an idiot-"_

_He was shocked and surprised as Neji spun suddenly, kicking him straight in the stomach as he went to touch lee. Naruto was sent skidding backwards, but managed to keep his balance. His angry expression changed into a confused and surprised one as he saw the look on Neji's face: pure sorrow and rage. The emotions were so strong in those usually blank, lavender eyes that the boy just straightened, not making another move to approach._

_"What do you mean, Neji?" he asked again in a softer tone, his eyes really taking in how the three-man squad appeared. Tenten was still standing stock-still, several cuts and injuries all over her body. Her eyes were staring at the ground in front of her, mouth pressed into a tight line. Her hair had begun to escape her buns, but she didn't seem to care. Neji was in no better shape, but his expression betrayed his strong emotions. "What do you mean, Neji?" Naruto repeated, this time more loudly. His voice tensed, eyes widening as realization started to dawn._

_Neji glared at him angrily, furious with the ninja in front of him for forcing him to admit something he could barely understand himself, that the cold body he was carrying would stir never again, would never strike another Nice Guy pose, would never smile…_

_"Lee's dead." He stated in a cold, flat voice, his anger draining away. He straightened and looked away from the blonde shinobi, away from Tenten._

_Naruto's temper returned and, with a snarl, he grabbed Neji by the robes on his chest. "What do you mean, dead?" he demanded. "Why? Why did this happen? Why didn't you help him?"_

_"Don't touch me!" Neji yelled, taking several steps back. The anger was back, as well as a deep rooted pain. "What happened to Lee wasn't his fault… It.. it was-"_

_"Don't you dare say it was Fate!" Naruto yelled, cutting him off. Tenten flinched, staring up at the two arguing men in front of her. It was so surreal to her, that the two could argue at a time like this. She looked to Neji, frightened of his expression. Frightened for him._

_As Naruto made to grab at him again, Neji screamed and gave him another mighty kick, infused with the little chakra he had left. As naruto was sent backwards, he slumped, seemingly completely drained. The anger had left him again, leaving behind only churning pain and misery. If his previous and current state had frightened Tenten before, it was nothing compared to the terror his next words brought her._

_"It was my fault…."_

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><p>The Hokage now stood in front of the freshly covered grave, looking down at the stone that had been placed in memory of the shinobi killed in action. "Rock Lee: The Green Beast of Konoha. May the Power of Youth Never Fade." Neji knew Tenten had selected that epitaph, but he didn't find any solace in it. The kunoichi by his side stood straight and strong, watching with dry eyes as were idol gave a farewell speech for their fallen comrade.<p>

As Lee's teammates and last people to see him alive, Neji and Tenten were supposed to be the first to walk up to the grave and leave their offerings. Neji only blinked as the Hokage left her own wreathe of flowers, bowing towards once in front of the grave. Neji hadn't even realized the burial was over. It took a warm tug at his hand for him to look down at Tenten. Her warm, brown eyes were filled with sorrow, but a resolve he'd never before seen in her.

"Come on, Neji." She told him softly, squeezing his hand. "We have to go to him." She coaxed, tugging him along behind her as she walked forwards towards the grave. Neji followed her mechanically, the two leaving their flowers and bowing. No one rushed them. Everyone watched as the two young adults said their separate goodbyes to their fallen friend. After five minutes, Tenten gently led Neji back to the others, standing with him. She hadn't let go of his hand, still, holding it securely.

Together, they watched as the rest of their comrades paid their respects to Lee, each telling him something different as they said goodbye. Naruto looked dejected as he laid a single flower on the grave, Sakura had tears in her eyes, Ino was mute, Chouji was quivering… Tenten noticed all their reactions, feeling closer to her fellow shinobi in their moment of grief. Beside her, Neji didn't notice a thing, eyes still staring at the grave. The weight in his chest hadn't left him when they'd deposited the body in the morgue. Instead, it had grown so much it was now choking him, squeezing the very life out of him.

As the funerary rites were over, the crowd started to thin gradually. Some of their comrades seemed to want to come and talk to them, but Sakura shook her haid and suggested no. Hinata seemed the most torn out of them all, looking worriedly at her cousin. Tenten's eyes met her and she shook her head as Neji pulled her into a hug, resting his head on her shoulder. She could feel him shaking slightly and, in reflex, put her arms around him. "I've got him." She mouthed to Hinata and the girl nodded, leaving them alone. Soon, the two were the only ones in the graveyard.

Neji let go of her after a few moments, turning back to the grave. Aabove them, they heard a crackle of thunder, but neither paid it any attention.

"Neji…" Tenten choked as her friend fell to his knees in front of Lee's grave, staring desperately at the flower-covered dirt.

"I failed you…" she heard him whisper softly and her heart broke. She allowed him several minutes to himself, then walked up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. She took a deep breath, steadying herself for what she knew she had to do.

"Come on, Neji." She coaxed him softly. "It's time to go home." When he didn't respond, she knelt down by him, turning his face to look at her. She quavered under the force of his gaze, of the misery and self-loathing she could detect in them. "Neji," she tried again, "We must leave." Wordlessly, he nodded and allowed her to help him to his feet. "Come on, now. I'll take you home. Now it's my turn to take care of you." She added in a low voice, taking his hand and steering him slowly towards the Hyuuga compound. Both were silent, both were brooding.

It started to rain.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Finally I found out how to add those horizontal lines. , I shall turn and edit previous chapters to include them, hoping to make reading them a little easier. That was quite enjoyable to write. ^_^ Warning: it doesn't get much happier from here on.

This is where the real plot begins. (And, for you romantics, this is where the eventual Neji/ Tenten begins).

Please look forward to the next chapter, Grayness of the Soul


	5. Grayness of the Soul

**I'd like to say, as a writer, that writers really love it when people who read our work enjoy it. It fills us with some warm, fuzzy feeling that could be happiness or meningitis. That warm fuzziness is partially why we even bother publishing our work, whether that's at a publishing house or on the Internet. (The other reason is we like compliments).**

**Bottom line: please review the stories y'all read. ^_^ It would make us writers very happy. Support the fuzziness!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Five: Grayness of the Soul<strong>

Already a week had passed since their return from their mission. To Neji, it felt like an eternity. Every day seemed to pass deliberately slowly, as if someone was denying him the liberating blackness of the night. Only when the sun had long since fallen and his family had retired to their beds did Neji allow himself full release of his pent-up emotions. Only when he was positive no one was around did he allow his eyes to fill up with moisture which he angrily rubbed away.

No, he could not cry.

The past week, in all its slowness, had been unbearable for the young Hyuuga; perhaps more so than any other in his life. After returning from their mission, both Neji and Tenten had been administered to the hospital, where their injuries were treated. Thankfully, it hadn't taken long for the med-nins to heal them. The reason they were kept in hospital was entirely different. They had been allowed to leave only for the funeral the third day, but even if they had been allowed more outings, neither ninja would have made use of them. The pair of teammates was injured in more than body, as became apparent to every single one of their comrades that visited them.

The two Konoha-nin hardly spoke to their fellow shinobi when they came in. They answered in grunts and movements when they could, usually avoiding their gaze. After a while, their visitor got the message and left them to themselves, allowing them time to grieve. Predictably, Naruto had had difficulty understanding that the two had wanted some time alone, to gather themselves and digest the past events.

"Come on, Neji! Tenten! Lee wouldn't want to see you like this! What happened to the power of youth, huh?" He blinked in surprise when he received the wounded, murderous and furious glare from both Neji and Tenten. Sakura put a hand on his shoulder and gently led him out of the room. She would have hit him over the head, but she had guessed that would only upset her patients even more. One look at Naruto's glum expression softened her heart, anyway. She knew Naruto had meant well. He missed Lee, too. They all did.

The med-nin noticed things having changed after the funeral. The sordid affair had affected both of her patients, not always in the best of manner. On the one hand, Tenten seemed to have snapped out of her trance. One look at her made it clear how much she still missed her friend, but she had found the strength and courage to tackle her everyday life and not shy away from it, to deal with her emotions and not suppress them. It filled Sakura with hope that she would be able to recover from the tragedy and find herself again.

Neji, on the other hand, had taken a turn for the worse. It was unclear to the rosen-haired woman if it was the funeral itself or some inner thought process that which had sent the stoic Hyuuga so deeply into his shell. Every movement he made was mechanical, fluid. He ignored the food that was placed in front of him unless Tenten rose and came to sit on his bed, half-feeding him, half-encouraging him. It was the bun-haired kunoichi that was leading him along, now, sharing her strength with him. Knowing the way Neji bottled up his emotions, Sakura was afraid for the shinobi. Very afraid.

As their injuries were healed,the med-nin usually left the two alone, glancing at Tenten. It was the kunoichi who told her when she could handle her teammate. It was tenten who was now supporting Neji. She talked to him for hours, even when he hardly responded. She was trying her best, but results were hard in coming.

On the second day after Lee's funeral, Gai burst into the hospital, demanding to see his students. Any nurse that had valued the hospital's integrity simply told him the room, staying out of his way as the Green Beast of Konoha tore down the white-tiled corridors.

Their reunion had been tear-filled, just as expected. As soon as Gai had walked into the hospital room, Tenten had looked up and her chocolate eyes had widened. For a moment, she only looked at her sensei, then she got up and walked into his open embrace. He hugged her tightly, neither saying a word. For the first time in years, Tenten allowed herself to be vulnerable, to allow a grown=\-up to handle the big problems. For those few, precious seconds she was enveloped in Gai's arms, breathing in his musty smell, she was a child again, seeking shelter into her father's arms.

That sweet security was broken a few moments later when Gai released her, holding onto her by the shoulders. She looked back into those endless black eyes, feeling the depth of emotions in his gaze. Emotions her muddled brain couldn't quite name. Her eyes filled with tears, conveying everything she wished she could say but couldn't get past the lump in her throat.

Gai understood.

He understood everything as he sat her on Neji's bed, hugging both of his students. He had expected Neji to pull away, to look aside, but to his surprise, the Hyuuga allowed himself release for a few moments as well, leaning into his arms as Tenten was doing. For several minutes, the three sat there,embracing each other. They shared their pain, their sorrow and their mutual support. Though moisture gathered in their eyes, none of the three actually wept out of respect for his teammates. The could acknowledge each others' grief without the need for tears.

When Sakura gently escorted Gai out of the room after visiting hours were over, their sensei struck a solemn pose. The sparkle and grin were absent, but both youths understood it for what it was: a promise. A promise to always be there for them, to always be united as a team. His two pupils nodded in reply, Tenten turning away to wipe her eyes in privacy, Neji just staring back into his lap.

Team Gai was wounded, but had not broken just yet. As Gai left to visit his protege's gravestone, wiping tears from his eyes, he knew that it would take more than a few hugs to erase their pain. They had lost a dear teammate and friend, one who had grown up with them and who had gone through Hell alongside them.

Even he, a teacher, would need time to fully recover. Sadly, he thought of the rule he had broken, the rule that every Genin teacher had broken: Don't get too attached. It was a stupid rule, he thought, like advising someone not to get too close with their children or pets, because they'd leave some day. Just this once, however, as he sat down in front of Lee's grave, a dull ache in his chest, he wished that he didn't care so much.

Two days after Gai's return, the two shinobi were released from the hospital. Sakura watched them as they took their few personal belongings from the room and walked down the white corridors. She was less worried for Tenten and more for Neji, given that the latter seemed withdrawn and restless. She could tell he wasn't handling his grief. And any good med-nin knew what badly repressed emotions could lead to, especially with ninja.

Hinata, Hiashi and Hanabi were waiting for Neji down in the reception area. Neji didn't even glance at his relatives as they came to pick him up and escort him home. Tenten was the one who met Hiashi's eyes, the one who was surprised to see compassion in them.

"Hinata will escort you home." he told her quietly, placing a hand on Neji's shoulder. His nephew didn't respond at all, earning himself worried glances from all four of them. As Tenten gestured to Neji anxiously, Hiashi shook his head and turned, leading him out of the hospital with his younger daughter by his side. Hinata gave Tenten a slight smile, offering to help her with her things as she walked her home.

"Father will take care of him." she told Tenten calmly, but the kunoichi could sense her worry. "Let _me _take care of _you_."

Really, when Neji thought about it, the past week had gone by a blur. He could only remember some selective scenes or actions. It frightened him that his memory had gaps, but he purposefully avoided them, doing his best to think of nothing; to lose himself in the oblivion that was forgetfulness.

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><p><strong>Alright, that was horribly short. Please forgive me for this chapter. I didn't have much to write, given that I knew exactly where I wanted to start chapter six. I hope it wasn't a complete disappointment.<strong>

**I shall remind everyone again of the contest that began on Chapter Four. **

**Once again,please leave your comments and look forward to chapter six, Accepting the Unacceptable!**


	6. Accepting the Unacceptable

**I'd like to address a big thank you to everyone who's reviewed the story so far. You people are awesome. ^_^ It's a pleasure to write with you people as my readers.**

**DarkAnonymous; Yes, Neji is sad. But he will get better eventually.  
><strong>

**Author's Not: Concerning this chapter, Chapter Six and Seven are probably my favorite so far. Admittedly, I haven't seen what chapters eight to ten will be like. Bu so far I love these two. **

**Disclaimer: The world of Naruto does not belong to me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Six – Accepting the Unacceptable<strong>

"Neji-niisan, please. You have to eat." Hinata said softly, her opalescent eyes filled with sorrow and worry. She was kneeling beside Neji in his room, a tray of food balanced on her knees. Her eyes were fixated on her older cousin- or rather what he could see of him. The room she was in was dark. The blinds had been closed across the window, effectively stopping the bright sunlight from streaming in. The only light came through the thin paper panels of the shouji. Neji wanted his door closed at all times. Not even visitors were allowed to make an exception.

The Hyuuga Heiress sighed as her cousin didn't deign to reply. He was lying down on his futon, the sheets tangled around his limp body. She couldn't see his face, as he was slightly turned away, one arm covering his eyes while his sleeve covered the rest of his cheeks. His dark hair was limp and lifeless, spread out over the thin pillows he so preferred. However, Hinata didn't need to see him fully to now what he looked like. The brief glances she'd gotten of him out of bed were enough to alarm her greatly.

It had already been a week after they had been discharged. It had broken Hinata's heart to leave Neji to her father and sister, but she knew Tenten needed just as much help as Neji. Besides, her cousin would have wanted her to take care of his teammate. _He always puts others before himself... _Hinata sighed to herself as she gazed upon the stubborn mule that was her relative. He needn't have worried, though. Tenten kept thanking her for her caring, but insisted she was alright. The fire I the kunoichi's eyes was reassuring, the Hyuuga had to admit, but she still maintained that she at least stay the night. The older girl had given in finally and allowed her comrade to help her unpack and cook her dinner. Hinata was no psychiatrist, but she could tell her friend was hanging in there. She could tell how sorrowful she was, but she was strong. The young woman seemed to have found the courage to deal with her problems. Her resolve was soothing to the med-nin. It meant that she would be okay, that she would be able to pull through. She still felt somewhat guilty as she left the next morning, but she was not afraid for her friend.

Her cousin was a different story altogether.

Ever since returning from the hospital, her cousin had been impossible to handle. So far he had merely picked at his food a few times she could count on her fingers. He had mostly stayed in his room, on his futon, refusing to speak to anyone. The Hyuuga heiress knew that bottling things up weren't going to help him, but no matter how much she coaxed him, he wouldn't open up. She wished he would scream, yell, shout, anything than the deathly quiet he was. Judging by the dark circles under his eyes, he had also barely slept. His normally pale skin had taken a frighteningly white hue and she could swear his robes were looser on him than they usually were.

As she stared down at the tray of food, a tear fell onto the smooth wood, followed swiftly by several more.

"Neji,please." she begged him one last time, to no avail. Refusing to allow herself to cry in front of him, she rose to her feet and deposited the tray on the low table behind her. A servant would remove it later if he hadn't touched it. Hinata was certain it would be untouched. With one last worried, despairing glance at her cousin, the Hyuuga heiress turned and pulled the shouji closed quietly behind her.

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><p>Neji lay still on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Another two days had passed and, finally, his relatives had begun to grant him what he wanted: peace. Hinata had been particularly annoying, coming in to see him thrice a day and pleading with him to eat, to sleep, to say something. With a sigh, he raised his arm to rest over his eyes, shutting out the world around him.<p>

He didn't deserve their efforts, their worry, their kindness.

Deep down, he knew that he deserved everything he was giving himself. He wasn't worth those who loved them. He had let them all down, everyone who had depended and believed in him. He had failed Gai-sensei and the Hokage by not protecting his team. He had failed Konoha by losing one of her best shinobi. He had failed Tenten by destroying their team. And more importantly, he had failed Lee.

_Lee..._

He had been unable to protect his comrade, to help him. He knew it was his fault that Lee had died, simply because he had not been there to assist him. He had left him alone with his foes to fight, not even concerned enough to check on his progress with the Byakugan! If he had not been so distracted, he would have seen lee needed help.

_Even if I hadn't looked, I still took my _bloody_ time..._ he scolded himself mercilessly, the fabric of his sleeve soaking up the tears that gathered in his eyes. His jaws clenched tightly, fighting the urge to grimace. _If I had hurried and ended the fight sooner, I cold have gotten to him and helped him... And even if I'd been a little late, we could have saved his life! Why didn't I hurry? Why? _His thoughts continued to loop around and around in circles, only helping to raise his frustration and misery.

His train of thought was briefly interrupted when he heard the shouji doors opening. At first, he dismissed the visitor as another one of his pesky relatives, before he realized that the person was making no effort whatsoever to not disturb him. Her footsteps – for they were too light to be male – resounded clearly against the hardwood of his floor as she padded purposefully towards him. As she neared his bedside, a foot nudged him in the ribs, hard enoug to jolt him without hurting hi.

"Get up, Neji." he heard Tenten's voice ringing loudly in his ears. Her resolute voice was the loudest sound he'd heard in over a week. Again, she nudged him with her foot, ore impatiently this time. So shocked was he at the intrusion that he removed his arm from his face, blinking up at her with wide, lavender eyes.

Tenten looked thinner and paler than he remembered her, but she hadn't otherwise changed. Her hair was still tied up in her signature buns, her arms were crossed across her chest and her expression was one of worry and irritation. Again, she nudged him before stooping to haul the covers off his body. He was left lying down on the thin mattress in only his sleeping kimono, shivering at the sudden change in temperature. Somehow, he felt vulnerable now that the thin coverlet had been pulled back and he had absolutely no barrier between himself and the irate kunoichi.

"Up!" she demanded again in a commanding voice. Neji mumbled something incoherent and slowly got to his feet, looking anywhere but into her chocolate eyes. The only reason he was obeying her command was because he knew she would drag him wherever she wanted him to go if he didn't.

Tenten waited impatiently as he straightened, tapping her fingers against her elbow. In truth, she wasn't as angry as she was letting on. Of course she was furious that the Hyuuga had let himself go like he had, but she was mostly concerned for her partner. Those little words he had whispered at lee's funeral haunted her still, depriving her of sleep.

"_It was my fault..."_

Knowing Neji as she did, she gave him the time he needed to rise from his bed. She had to balance out her act; three parts fury, one part worry. If she was ore sympathetic, she knew he would blank her like he had his family. Right now, the only thing giving her control over him was his surprise.

"You are going to dress in proper clothes and we are going outside. Is that clear?" she asked him in an authoritative voice. The Hyuuga mumbled something, looking at the ground. "I didn't hear that." He mumbled slightly louder and Tenten sighed at the heartbroken look in his eyes. "Let me take care of it." she said, going to his closet and pulling out a set of clothes. Deftly, she pulled the shouji door closed and began to remove his robes. Usually, she would have blushed beetroot at that; they both would have. As neither of them found it funny, however, sh undressed and dressed him again in silence. After she pulled his last robe off, Neji had stopped her gently and redressed on his own, earning himself a soft smile.

It was a baby-step, but it was progress, Tenten reasoned.

To the shock of his family, Tenten marched Neji out of his room, down the corridor and out into the compound's streets. Most of the clan stopped and looked at them briefly, before moving on. It had been no secret that the young shinobi had been wasting away in his room. Neji didn't see to notice the reactions they were producing as Tenten led him towards one of the training areas at the very back, where they would have some privacy. He had a completely blank expression on his face and seemed to be barely conscious of the guiding hand at his elbow. Still, he looked better with a little fresh air.

Tenten finally sat him down at a bench in a secluded target range. For a while, they sat together, neither saying a word. Neji stared up at the birds in the sky while Tenten stared at him, studying his face. Yes, he did look better, she decided, glad to have made the right call.

After a while, she exhaled and also looked up at the sky. "You know, what happened wasn't your fault." she said, having already opted to not bother with any preamble. Neji flinched at his words, the first real sign of emotion she'd seen on his face other than shock after the funeral. Though she hated to see him in pain, that small flicker of emotion soothed her to some extent. He was still human. He could still be saved.

When he still hadn't said a word after a few minutes, she sighed and patted his arm. "No one's blaming you other than yourself, Neji." Still no response. The kunoichi sighed and took off the small backpack she had slung over her shoulders, untying a bento box. Unceremoniously, she took out a riceball and, holding Neji's hand by the wrist, placed it firmly in his grasp.

"Eat."

Tenten wasn't sure if it was the fresh air, the sunshine or their 'talk' that did it, but Neji slowly brought the food to his mouth and took a small bite. A small part of Tenten's heart seemed to settle in place as he fiished the riceball, his hands intertwining on is lap. Pehaps now, she prayed, he'd start getting better. She didn't press him to eat any more and he made no move to take another _onigiri _from the box between them. The rest of their stay was quiet and peaceful, the two enveloped in a companionable silence. When the sun began to set, Neji stood and walked away from her, heading back towards the Main House. Tenten didn't stop him or go after him, but watched him as he walked. "I'll be here if you need to talk." she whispered after him, packing up the reainder of her food and also leaving.

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><p>Over the next few days, Tenten continued visiting and, in her own words,manhandling her teammate. It seemed to be having a positive effect on him, as he ate more when they were together and once he even thanked Hinata for bringing him a flower arrangement she had worked on solely for him. Those baby-steps, as Sakura had put them, were encouraging.<p>

Still, Tenten could see plainly that Neji was getting worse. Even though he might be picking a little more at his food, he was still losing weight he didn't have to lose and, she was certain, was still not sleeping. She had started to notice that his hands trembled slightly with weakness as he sipped some tea or nibbled on a carrot stick as they sat together. The dark circles under his eyes gew more and more prominent as he steadily grew paler. Tenten and hinata were both worried his body would give in before his mind could begin to heal. His teammate was convinced the shinobi still blamed himself. Sometimes she caught him staring off into the distance, a hurt and defeated expression in his eyes.

Now with his walls down, Tenten could see for the first time how vulnerable Neji could become. She didn't like it. 'Vulnerable' and 'Neji' didn't go together in the same sentence. Even so, there was only so much she could do. She couldn't force him to get better or to overcome his guilt. He was the one who would have to open up.

Still, when Tenten left the Hyuuga compound one night, after Neji had thanked her for her effort and walked away, she was hopeful that he would manage to pull himself together.

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><p><strong>Thank you to everyone who's read this fic so far! I'd like you to know how much your appreciation means, whether written or felt. (Hint). As for the ongoing contest (see chapter four), here's a hint:<strong>

"_**If you search the fanfiction, you will find Neji's full name hidden somewhere."**_

**Please look forward to the next chapter, 'Neglect'. Title may change. **

**To make up for this week's late update, I will update again within the weekend. The seventh chapter is actually already written, so you won't have to wait long!**


	7. Neglect

**Thank you to everyone who read and liked so far ^_^ We only have three more chapters to go! I'm not quite sure when the next chapter will be, as I'm going to be out of town for the next week and a few days. I hope it'll be up by Friday.**

**Oh, do forgive me for any random code tags you find in this. I couldn't catch them all. ^_^**

**Dsclaimer: As always, I do not own Naruto.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven – Neglect<strong>

Hyuuga Neji was missing.

At first, his absence hadn't brought any particular reaction from the Hyuuga. When Hinata had gone to his room half an hour after sunrise, carrying a tray of food, she had found his room empty, futon unmade in the corner. The kind-hearted girl had assumed that Tenten had visited early that morning, to drag her cousin out once more. She was sure that those outings did her cousin good; he had thanked her only two days ago and had begun to perhaps nibble on something now and then. In fact, his morning absence had served as slight encouragement to his younger cousin; Neji's current inactivity had deeply troubled the kind-hearted girl, who had taken his uncharacteristic breakage of routine as very worrisome. Thus, she had taken the empty room as a sign her cousin was finally better and back to his daily dawn spars with Tenten, a routine the two had followed almost religiously for the past five years. Gently, she had placed the tray laden with appetite-teasing food on the low table in his room and quietly left.

An hour later, the same Hinata was worried again, looking at Tenten as she entered the Hyuuga compound, a slightly anxious frown on her face.

"Ten-Tenten-san?" she had inquired, the stammer making several fellow Hyuuga glance her way in discontent; Hinata's stammer had begun to retreat and, in fact, they hadn't heard in in a while. To see it return brought back painful times to those hard, lavender eyes. "Isn't Neji-niisan with you?" the girl asked uncertainly.

Tenten's frown deepened. "No." she had replied, her chocolate brown eyes meeting Hinata's all-too familiar lavender ones. "I only just came to drag him out of his room. Why?" her question had sounded guarded, as if she were afraid Hinata's answer would cause her fresh worry. She was anxious enough about her remaining teammate without wanting to add more to it and to her grief. Faintly, she began to fret about whether neji's gradual progress had just taken a turn for the worse.

"He's not here. He wasn't in his room when I looked in an hour ago."

The simple reply had made the tense kunoichi even tenser, her already anxious form tighten. "Then where is he?" she had demanded.

Hinata had only wished she had an answer to give her.

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><p>At first, the two girls had searched for him alone around the Hyuuga complex and the surrounding streets. Though Hinata's Byakugan caught faint chakra-imprints she was sure belonged to him, they were old. Her far-seeing eyes couldn't find any fresh traces of his presence, something that was deeply troubling her friend, who sped up her pace. Within an hour of fruitless searching, Shikamaru, Kiba and Akamaru had joined the search, having run into the two kunoichi. It took another hour for Tenten to despair.<p>

"Where can he have gone?" she demanded, voice laden with worry.

"We still ha-haven't looked in the east side." Hinata suggested to her meekly.

"Kiba and Akamaru took that side. They would have notified us if they'd found him." Tenten replied. The four had split up into groups; her and Hinata together, Kiba and Akamaru, Shikamaru and Shino – whom he'd gone to fetch, in order to speed their search up. Every team had also promised to notify any other members of the Konoha 11 they could in the meantime; more numbers meant more efficient ground coverage.

"Y-you're right." Hinata stammered back. Tenten glanced her way and sighed; she hated to make Hinata so tense, but she really couldn't help her tone at the moment. She promised to herself to try and soften her voice. After all, it wasn't Hinata's fault Neji was missing.

"Do you think he's hurt?" she asked her worriedly. "Maybe he was out for a walk and got ambushed, or lost, or ill? He hasn't been well recently…" she trailed off, thinking of her teammate's pale, drawn face, his self-loathing eyes, his shaking hands.

"He'll be alright." She only replied.

After every inch of Konoha had been searched through and through, the search teams gathered to share information, then set out again. Shikamaru, with his characteristic "troublesome" attitude failing to hide his brilliance, had outlined a search plan for the surrounding area. They would spread out around Konoha's wall, each team at a different position around the circle. They'd slowly move outwards, spiraling around the village. For that purpose, those with the extra sensing abilities would be divided into each team so that they could cover the ground they swerved around: Kiba and Akamaru, Shino, Hinata and Hanabi, who had surprisingly joined the search, would have to pair up with himself, Tenten, Ino and Chouji.

"We're searching for Neji." He'd said. "Anyone to find him or any trace, intercept the team spiraling behind you. Anyone intercepted do the same." They had all nodded and set out.

That had been two hours ago. Tenten, who was glad to have been paired up with Hinata again, had insisted she was given the southeast forest area to check; that was where their team had trained in their Genin days, where her and Neji's training clearing still lay, just a few kilometers away from the village wall. She couldn't know if he would have headed there – if in fact he hadn't been abducted or otherwise hurt – but she had an inkling of hope that he would be there. He had to.

No one else had argued her choice, but had let her choose rather than provoke an outburst. Out of all of them, Tenten was the closest one to Neji, even closer to him than Hinata. If someone was to know where he might be, it would be her.

Minutes passed in tense silence as she and Hinata rushed from branch to branch, going as quickly as they could while surveying the area designated to them thoroughly. Tenten looked in front of them while Hinata checked the spiral space they were shading in with their trajectory. Often, Tenten found herself holding her breath, wishing to feel that familiar chakra signature close by that signaled she had found him. She couldn't bear to lose her remaining teammate, couldn't bear to lose Neji.

He wasn't in their meeting spot.

It was with a heavy heart that she shook her head at Hinata. "Not here." She said, looking down at the small clearing where Gai-sensei would have them gather each morning at absurd hours, just to initiate them in some new, eccentric training method, such as swimming with a backpack full of large boulders. It was with a sad, yet fond smile that she remembered Lee's steadfast exuberance at each new, posed challenge while she and Neji would stare in disbelief.

No, she was sure Neji would have headed this way. If he was driven by grief and guilt, and some part of her knew with certainty that that was why he'd disappeared, he would have headed this way. This clearing was heavy with memories of Lee.

With a last look, she headed on. "He'll be close." She told Hinata. _He has to be._With that positive attitude in mind, she hurried onwards, eyes and heart straining to see her partner somewhere amidst the forest flora.

Five minutes later, they arrived at her and Neji's clearing. The large open space was where they had always practiced together, ever since they were eleven years old. It bore multitudes of evidence of their time there; there were still unhealed craters carved in the grass from his Kaiten and darker patches of grass where such craters had presumably been, as well as notches and wounds in the surrounding trees from all her weapons.

As she and Hinata landed down at the edge of the clearing, sje saw him at the same time as Hinata gasped and ran forward, her Byakugan showing her her cousin's chakra system. Both kunoichi rushed forwards, eyes wide as Neji, who was kneeling listlessly on the grass, clutched a kunai against his knee.

"Neji?" The tentative, frightened voice was Tenten's and she hated the frail quality it bore. He didn't answer as the two women approached him quietly, having slowed down when they saw he wasn't responding. Tenten saw that his eyes were half-closed, his face bone-white other than two patches of red on his cheeks. His hair was loose and falling around his shoulders, limp strands sticky with the sweat that was covering him. For a moment, she gaped at the unfamiliar sight of her teammate in worse condition than she could ever imagine him in. The only familiar sight was his gleaming hitae-ate, still shining brightly with the dark symbol of Konoha etched into it.

"He's burning up." Hinata said quietly, a hand on his forehead. Carefully, she grasped his shoulders and gently pulled him sideways so that first he was lying on his side, then she maneuvered him with Tenten's help so that he was lying on his back. Her nimble hands removed her cousin's forehead protector, putting it in her pocket. "We need to get him back to the village." She told the girl, then looked at her.

Tenten was kneeling next to her, staring into her friend's ashen face. In her hand, she held the kunai she'd carefully taken from Neji's hand; he'd yielded with thankful willingness. Her eyes were gazing down at her partner's face, wide in shock. Hinata couldn't blame her, really. No matter what they'd expected to find, Neji's condition was still startling. She knew Tenten was worried, hurting because of it.

"I'll go intercept the next team." She offered, though, as a med-nin, it made more sense for her to remain. She wouldn't have been able to do much for her cousin, but she decided that that little difference she could have made wasn't enough to send Tenten away, to wound the kunoichi's heart any further. Tenten only gave a small nod as a sign she'd heard. She'd taken Neji's sweaty, cold hand into her own, her fingers unconsciously rubbing his.

"Hurry." Was all she said, and her voice carried the wounded quality of a child. Hinata only nodded and, with a chakra-enhanced jump, was in the treetops in the blink of an eye.

When the others arrived, team by team, they found her still in the same position in which Hinata had left her; kneeling by neji's side, her hand holding his. She didn't move at first when Kiba gently pried her limp teammate out of her grasp and slung him over Akamaru's side. "Come on, Tenten!" he'd told her. "We're getting back!"

The next half hour was vaguely blank to the kunoichi as the rescue team rushed back to the village. After some debate between Shikamaru and Hinata, they took Neji to the hospital instead of the Hyuuga compound. Secretly, Tenten was pleased. It seemed unbelievably ironic to her, but she was sure that the hospital staff of plain ninja and nurses would see far more into the situation than a hundred, flawless and all-seeing Hyuuga eyes. After all, hadn't Neji's eyes been just as blind once?

_Please let him be alright…_ she prayed silently in her head as the medical staff placed Neji in a bed and Sakura began to examine him. She could hardly feel her fellow shinobi around and behind her as they all waited on Sakura's diagnosis. The pink-haired woman looked up after several minutes, green eyes seeing the small crowd in the small hospital room.

"He'll be fine." She said calmly. "Just a fever. Really nothing to worry about." There was an obvious air of relief, but no one moved from their spot. Sakura sighed. "Most of you should go. I doubt either Neji or the other patients would take well to being crowded." She added, glancing at the other two patients in the room – a twelve year old who must have been a Genin and one of the Jounin. When she didn't look away, some started to mumble and the group thinned, those who'd participated in the retrieval leaving. A 'troublesome' was heard through the sounds of muffled footsteps and the scratch of claws on the tiled floor. Only Tenten and Hinara remained, who promptly took a seat on either side of Neji.

"Will he really be alright, Sakura-san?" Hinata asked her fellow med-nin, fingers twirling together in a gesture that usually annoyed Neji. Now, however, his face was just as pale and blank as if he were dead. The thought made the Hyuuga heir shiver.

"Well.." The slight hesitation in the med-nin's voice had Tenten's rapt attention in the blink of an eye. She looked up from where she had been holding Neji's hand again, gazing intently at Sakura. "I didn't lie before.. But I thought he wouldn't have wanted the others to know." Her words didn't exactly reassure the two women. "It's true that he's only got a fever, but his condition is very alarming. His system is exhausted, and not from the extensive use of chakra. He's weakened from malnourishment and.. I could only wager to say he's depressed."

"With.. with what's happened in the past few weeks.." Hinata said softly, leaving her sentence unfinished.

"It's fully understandable." Sakura said, glancing at Tenten. "He should stay here, overnight at the very least. I can combat the fever and the rest will do him good. However, he'll need you." The last comment was directed directly at Tenten. Sakura thought she and she alone could bring Neji out of his self-neglect and loathing, not only because they had both suffered the loss of a teammate. She had seen the look on the kunoichi's face when she looked at him. Besides, she was the only other one among the Konoha Eleven who could understand his pain. Though the pink-haired kunoichi didn't mention it, this had been what she had feared from the very beginning; a breakdown.

She was sad to say she'd been proven right.

"What can I do?" Tenten demanded immediately, her grip around Neji's hand tightening.

"Help his heart heal."

_If only I knew how…_

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><p>Author's note: Please look forward to chapter eight, Explosion!<p> 


	8. Explosion

**Whew! Only two more chapters to go. I'm really happy with the way this chapter turned out. While writing it, I'd had doubts about who he would talk to etc etc etc. Still, I'm hoping the end result was satisfactory. ^_^**

**I'd like to thank everyone who's stayed with me so far, who's reviewed, favorite'd and added my story to their Alert lists. I'd especially like to thank DarkAnonymous324 for his continued encouragement and support. This chapter is dedicated to you. ^_^**

**I'd also like to add that the contest from Chapter Four is still ongoing.**

**Oh, and for you anime fans, there's quite an obvious (other) anime reference in this chapter. I'm accepting any requests from the person who finds it. (short story, pairings, theme, whatever you can think of).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight – Explosion<strong>

It had taken Neji several hours to wake from his fever-dreams. Hinata had gone home long before, but Tenten was still seated at his bedside, holding his hand. The only time she had left the room was when the medical staff had come in to change him into the green hospital robes. Her feeble protests at their intentions were easily overruled. She knew Neji would hate to be dressed like that, in a color that even matched his seal, but she couldn't argue with the nurses; his clothes were unfit to be inside a hospital, stained by dirt and grass, as well as impractical in case he needed medical attention.

No, the only thing Tenten could do was to leave the room, preserving as much of his dig3nity as she could for him.

When she returned, her heart cried out for him, seeing how truly frail and thin he looked now that his Hyuuga robes weren't fanning around him. "Oh Neji…" she had sighed, taking his hand once more. She talked to him softly, knowing that he probably couldn't hear her. Still, she felt as if she might be soothing him with her gentle words and touches. She had been told he was dreaming and, judging by the occasional grimace or grunt, his dreams weren't always pleasant. It was at those times when she made extra efforts to placate him, hoping to take away his nightmares and give him healing sleep.

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><p>"Neji?"<p>

It was the first thing Neji was aware of hearing hours later, when his pale lavender eyes opened fully. He blinked up at the unfamiliar ceiling, trying to place where he was. He tried to remember, but his recollections were still fuzzy and unclear. He knew that voice and the place he was in, but he couldn't immediately recognize either. He closed his eyes briefly in an attempt to gather his thoughts. It was then that he became fully aware of how bad he felt; his head was pounding, his throat was dry and sore and there was a gentle ache behind his eyes. The rest of his body throbbed quietly to the beat set by his heart.

"Neji." the voice repeated, no longer a question.

At the sound of his name, he turned his head in the direction the voice was coming from. He blinked slowly when he saw Tenten at his beside, looking at him with worried and relieved fudge-colored eyes. The lost, forlorn look in his eyes made her want to hug him tightly and stroke his hair.

She didn't.

"It's about time you woke up." She told him, emulating older times and a better setting. Though her tone wasn't the same as it used to be, Neji's eyes closed and the corners of his mouth quirked up in slight amusement and appreciation.

"The clock must be too fast." He countered hoarsely, bringing a smile to her own lips. It was the first time that he'd joked with her since before Lee was killed. Perhaps, now, he'd be alright. Her hopes were dashed the moment after, however, when he sighed heavily, gazing up broodingly at the ceiling through half-closed eyes.

"Are you alright?" It was a tentative question.

"I am feeling recovered." The answer was just as tentative. The kunoichi new he was making progress; though he'd begun to talk more and more, they'd still never had a conversation. Tenten didn't know whether it was a sign that he was recovering, or a sign that he was really out of it.

"The med-nin would disagree with you." she answered softly, still holding his hand. She became aware of her gesture when Neji glanced down at their intertwined fingers, then up at her. She blushed, but didn't let go. "You were pretty bad when we carried you in." she explained. "Fever, malnourishment, exhaustion. You've really let yourself go." it was something both of them knew, but hadn't breached. Before now, Tenten had decided on letting him snap out of it himself, but after the scare he'd given her, she had opted to snap him out of it herself. "You could have died."

"But I didn't." he protested softly, not looking at her anymore. His face was turned away from her, looking in the opposite direction.

"You didn't because Hinata and I found you." she countered. "If we hadn't, Lord knows where you would be now." Her voice shook slightly at the thought of losing her other teammate, the only person left that fully understood her. "You could have killed yourself!" she added, thinking of the kunai he had been clutching when they had found him. She had avoided the thought for fear of starting to cry at the prospect of him ending his own life.

Neji sighed and said nothing more. The two sat in silence until Sakura came in to examine him, Tenten left then for the night after promising Sakura to return come dawn.

After all, she had a duty to do by him.

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><p>Over the next few days, everyone was on high alert around the Hyuuga Konoha Eleven visited regularly to keep an eye on him. When their comrades weren't there, Hinata and Tenten were sure to keep him constant company. The only time Tenten and Neji had to their selves was when they strolled out in the morning to the training grounds near the north wall of the Hyuuga compound.<p>

After the hospital incident, Neji had made a small effort to be less of a worry. He ate and slept more to ease hisfriends' and family's worry and tried to keep his hair in a more tidy state. He usually just tied it back in a ponytail, but it was better than the neglected tangle it had been.

One morning, as they reached the Hyuuga training grounds, Tenten turned to him and planted her feet shoulder-width apart. "Fight me." she told him decisively, already readying her scrolls.

Neji looked back at her, then sighed. "I'm not in the mood to." he told her in a quiet voice and turned to take their usual seats. He had only taken three steps when a kunai came flashing past his face, he froze and another passed over his shoulder, this time clipping his ear. _Shit, she's serious._ He thought to himself horrified as the soft 'poof' of more summonings reached his ear.

Instinctively, he lunged to the side, rolling to his feet as several senbon struck the ground where he'd just been. Facing Tenten, he saw the mad, eager gleam in her eyes that always accompanied the use of her beloved weapons. He barely had time to register that thought before she had him dodging again, weaving in and out to evade the waves of kunai she was using.

Tententook to the air, swirling and twirling as she unleashed a fresh barrage of weapons upon her fleeing teammate. Unknown to him, she was the one who had the control over their spar for once. She dictated where he would go and how. Having sparred with him for so many years, she knew how long it would take his muddled mind to assess a threat and dodge. Thus, she wouldn't injur him seriously. Just give him a run for his money.

Neji panted heavily as he ducked a spinning fuuma shuriken, his form drenched in sweat from the exertion. As he straightened, is vision blurred for a moment and he stumbled slightly. The kunai passed harmlessly over his shoulders. Suddenly, his vision snapped back in focus and, seeing a hail of senbon aiming straight for im, he placed one foot over the other and, screaming out as the pressure in him released, spun into his signature Kaiten.

Tenten smiled in satisfaction at the blue chakra dome as it deflected her weapons. She hadn't been sure Neji would do it, but she had been hopeful. She landed a few feet away as he kept up the rotation needlessly, burning the excess chakra out of his sistem. She could just hear his agonized voice over the roar of his chakra. Then, as soon as it appeared, the blue dome collapsed into itself and Neji stumbled, falling.

She was there to catch him. She always was.

Lowering him gently to the ground, shesmiled at the serene expression on his sleeping face. His expression was soft, his lips parted slightly in a half-frown, his eyebrows relaxed and arched. He hadn't looked this peacefully asleep in weeks, forever haunted by some nightmare or worry. Her warm fingers stroked his cheek and eyelids softly, almostas soft as her smile.

"Sweet dreams, Neji." she whispered as she sat down on the ground, his head and shoulders cushioned in her lap.

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><p>"Neji-niisan?"came Hinata's voice, soft in the rainy night. She had pulled open the shouji that led to the outer verandas, peeking out onto the wooden walkway that surrounded the main house. The patio was shielded from the rain by its roof, but still some raindrops splashed onto the polished floor, born by the wind. The Hyuuga heiress' eyes could only make out her cousin's silhouette as he sat and meditated in front of the raging storm, as he was wont to do over the past week.<p>

Ever since that initial spar with Tenten, the two teammates had returned to their previous routine of daily spars. It warmed the young woman's heart to see her cousin flushed from the exercise and the wind. The spars had really seemed to help him recover; he ate and slept normally these days and engaged in more active conversation (as much as 'active conversation' could be called concerning Hyuuga Neji.). Yes, she thought, her cousin's physical form was well recovered and active now. The only thing they were all still worried about was his soul and conscience.

Hinata winced as a thunderbolt tore through the sky, briefly illuminating the inner gardens of the Main House. The med-nin knew her cousin cherished these solitary moments of meditation, like he always did. However, she also knew that, at the present time, his meditations only gave him time to brood and wallow in self-pity and loathing. Those emotions wouldn't do him any good; they might even knock him back into his previous downward spiral. No, it was their job as his friends and family to try and bring him out of it, to help him ease his guilt.

When she received no answer, the lavender-eyed woman sighed and padded out into the night, sitting down by him. "It's late and windy." she told him as if a thunderstorm wasn't raging right in front of them, as if the rain wasn't being blown onto them as they sat.

"I know." he answered calmly, his eyes closed. Droplets trickleddown his face and shine in his hair. As a new wave of droplets began to streak down his face, Hinata suddenly realized that they were tears, tears masked as raindrops. Looking respectfully away, she gazed out into the night.

"It's raining." Neji told her.

So he sensed me looking. Hinata thought to herself and, gingerly, reached into his lap to put her warm hand over his cold one. "Yes, it is." she agreed quietly, allowing him to retain his dignity. "We should get you inside before you catch a cold." Neji didn't answer her for the longest time; she was convinced he wouldn't answer, that's how long he paused before, with a grunt, he got to his feet and allowed her to guide him back inside.

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><p>"I'm worried about him." Hinata told Tenten quietly as she greeted the kunoichi at the Hyuuga gates. As she knew what time her comrade usually arrived to meet and spar with Neji, it was easy to meet her at the gates. "He's been growing more mellow in the evening, when he meditates. I <em>know<em> it's so obvious why and I _know_ that it's completely natural, but I'm so worried... It's eating him up from the inside, Tenten."

Tenten sighed and nodded in agreement. She had also noticed Neji's low mood. When he was physically almost back to normal, it was all the more easy to see how low he was mentally and emotionally. However, being the stubborn, proud blockhead that he was, he would not allow them to help him with his pain. Not until they forced him to.

"I'll talk to him." she promised the obviously relieved Hyuuga. Deep down, she always knew that it would fall to her to give Neji his 'talking to'. Hinata was too shy and nervous to do it and Naruto... Naruto might have been a good idea, but she wanted to do this herself.

The only thing that scared her was that, in talking to him and drawing out his pain, he'd see how bitter and acute her own pain still was.

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><p>"Neji?" she asked him tentatively twenty minutes later. Her thistle-eyed teammate turned to glance her way, then returned his eyes to the road in front of them as they headed through the streets of Konoha towards their training grounds. During the last week, they had moved from the private Hyuuga training grounds to where they usually trained as Team Gai. Neither had proposed it. Simply, one morning they met up and headed in that direction in silent agreement. They didn't have to use words to communicate.<p>

"Hn?" he asked back, arching an eyebrow slightly in question. Tenten took a deep breath, then let it out too quickly.

"Nothing." she told him, looking straight ahead even when he turned to glanced at her agan.

"Ah." he answered monosyllabically. The rest of their way was spent in a tense but companionable silence until the peace of the woodland area around Konoha soothed their slight nerves.

Once in their clering, Neji dropped to his usual position while Tenten took to the trees, eager to get the previous awkward moment out of the way. He had almost seen her waver, had almost felt her pain. No, she couldn't burden him with her own anguish, not when his was so much more consuming.

Thus, they sparred. Weapons met chakra, fingers touched skin and metal drew blood. They flitted from one position to the other, from one jutsu to the other, from spot to spot and branch to branch. As always, they were equally matched. Now especially, when both their minds were distracted, they were more alike than ever before. However, as Tenten was more distracted than him, Neji had the slightest of upper hands in their fight. When he knocked Tenten off her perch for the third time, he stopped and eased out of his Juuken position.

"What is it, Tenten?" He asked her firmly. His tone left no opening for excuses and lies. He knew something was up, and _she_ knew _he_ knew. In response, she sighed and dropped down from her branch, fiddling with the kunai holster strapped to her thigh. "Tenten?" he prodded her again, closing the distance between them. She forced herself to look up into his curious mauve eyes, then sighed.

"Neji, you can't carry on like this." she began roughly, wincing. _I should have come up with something better!_

Neji raised an eyebrow, then frowned, his expression closed. Instantly defensive. "I don't know what you're referring to." he answered her flatly, crossing his arms. Despite herself, Tenten found herself irritated with his ever-present Hyuuga pride. It was that irritation which fueled on.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about." she retorted acidly, also crosing her arms. They were like mirror images; arms crossed, face blank and eyes filled with irateness and contempt. "ou can't continue bottling everything up, Neji! It's going to destroy you! Why can't you let down your _stupid_ pride for just_ once?_ We're all here for you!"Perhas it was not the best way to draw out his pain, butdeep inside, Tenten knew that the touchy-feely way just wasn't _them._ What she wouldn't admit to herself was the reason she was so angry with her sparring partner; she saw herself in him.

Her words seemed to cut through Neji, who sighed and allowed his hands to hang loosely by his sides. The lack of fight in him made Tenten pause and assess the situation: for once, she was the only one who wants to quarell, the only one that was caught up in anger.

"I'm fine." Neji mumbled, but by the way his eyes looked at the ground in front of him and his soft tone, Tenten knew he wasn't even fooling himself, much less her. She'd rarely seen him so vulnerable. Relaxing, she took several steps closer to him so that she could touch his arm.

"Come on, Neji." she crooned coaxingly. "I know you. I can tell when you're in pain." she told him softly, the hand on his arm beginning a soft, regular stroking motion. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

The shinobi in front of her sighed and grit his teeth, his hands balled into fists. "No one else should have to feel as crap as I do." he said hoarsely. That little admission gave the kunoichi ground to work on. At least he had admitted he was, indeed, in pain.

"Neji." she called. "Neji." The young man looked into her eyes unwillingly, melted lavender meeting warm chocolate. "When you're in pain, we're in pain. Us, your friends, your family. Hinata's absolutely out of her mind with worry about you. So am I." the latter was said softly, in a whisper, almost.

Gazing into her warm eyes, Neji could see the genuine concern and honesty in them. With another sigh, he allowed his muscles to relax slightly.

Tenten smiled encouragingly and patted his shoulder. "Why don't you tell me? I'd rather share your burden than watch you torture yourself alone, Neji." she added softly, never breaking eye contact. Her friend sighed and, closing his eyes, he jerked his head to the side away from her.

"No." he said flatly.

"No?" she repeated, disappointed.

"I deserve this pain." he muttered darkly, his eyes pools of liquid sorrow. "It's my fault... If I never stop hurting, it's only what's right..."

Tenten could feel her heart swell in sorrow at his words and, placing both hands on his shoulders, turning him to face her. The sudden bodily pressure made his eyes widen in surprise. Her fiery expression only added to his shock.

"Neji." she growled, her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes flashing. ":Never say that again. You aren't to blame for what happened to Lee." she stated firmly.

A flash of irrational fury swept over the Hyuuga's face and, with a swift push, they both disengaged and stood six feet apart, glaring each other down. "You know nothing." he spat acidly at her, his fists shaking. "You have no idea! No idea about what pain means, or about what I'm going thro-"

He never finished his sentence, as Tenten lapped him hard across the face, bridging their distance in one leap. The young man staggered back a step, his eyes wide in shock again as he gingerly fingered the red mark left on his pale cheek. In front of him, Tenten stood, panting, eyes almost wide with fury.

"How dare you!_ How dare you!_" she almost howled, her whole body heaving. "I have no idea what pain is, huh?_ Huh?_ You _fucking_ idiot!" she screeched and, throwing several kunai at him in a rage, she leaped into the treetops and ran away as fast as her legs could carry her.

Neji was left, rooted to the spot in the middle of the clearing. Shock, pain and a feeling of dread were written across his face as his mind tried to process what had just happened. Part of him was furious with Tenten.

The other part told him he'd messed up. Big time.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Whew again! That was a lot harder than I'd originally thought it would be! Like I mentioned, I was torn who would be the one to talk to Neji. In the end, I decided on a sequence. For those of you worried about Neji and Tenten, I promise all shall be sorted out.<strong>

**Please look forward to the next chapter, Juxtaposed! **

**Also,reviews make Kari happy. ^_^**


	9. Juxtaposed

**No one ever reads these. ;.;**

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine – Juxtaposed<strong>

"Kaiten!"

Obediently, a shimmering dome of blue chakra sprung into existence, its iridescence lighting up the gray dawn. He kept the protective shield up for twenty seconds, then stumbled out of it, grabbing a tree trunk to keep himself upright. His breath steamed in the chilly air. When he straightened, he had to lean his back against the tree once more, light-headed. He'd been at it for the past two hours, tiring himself out. Usually, he didn't start training until six in the morning, but the previous night had been rough.

Two days had already passed since his argument with Tenten. He'd not seen hide nor hair of her since then and was growing increasingly worried. At first, he'd been angry at her for presuming to know what he was going through. After calming down initially, however, he'd found that his anger had left him entirely. He might not have been furious with her, but he was still far too proud to go and beg her forgiveness. Besides, he'd reasoned, she'd also calm down and they could move on like nothing had happened. The way he felt then, pretending and moving on sounded like the best choice to make. He didn't want them to dwell on their fight. He liked and needed her company too much.

The next morning, however, Tenten didn't show up for their morning spar. He waited for over an hour, then decided to get some practice in anyway. He'd returned to the Hyuuga compound early, a little worried. Still, he knew that his Tenten didn't like to be fussed over, so he chose to stick by his plan. He was hoping that, by giving her space, she'd also forgive him.

He didn't realize how seriously flawed that plan was until he met Hinata that morning as he returned, worn and anxious.

"Neji-niisan?" she asked, stopping in her tracks and looking at him. The Hyuuga heiress had been on her way to meet with her teammates, but the sight of her cousin had thrown her off. "What are you doing back so soon?" she questioned him, her dark eyebrows furrowing together. Usually, Neji didn't return from his morning spars with Tenten until half an hour before lunch. That meant that he was hours early. His silence didn't reassure her, either. "Neji?" she prodded again, more firmly, and crossed her arms. He knew that expression – she'd not budge until she got what she wanted.

Silently, he let out a world-weary sigh. "Tenten didn't show up." he told her, knowing that the sooner he told her the truth, the sooner he could go to his room. Hinata's eyebrows only pressed closer together.

"She didn't show up? Why? Tenten never forgets your spars." she pointed out, biting her lip. Perhaps her friend was too sick to send a message, never mind get out of bed? From Neji's expression, however, she gathered that he already feared this would happen. "What did you do?"

The question took him by surprise, as well as the guarded, stern tone that accompanied it. At that moment, with her expression serious and her arms crossed, Hinata looked more like her father than ever before.

He couldn't escape her gaze, however, so just sighed again and looked down at the ground. "We fought last night. I was hoping she'd have forgiven me by now, but it seems I was wrong." he said softly.

You fought?" his cousin asked, her eyebrows rising slightly. "About what?"

This was uncomfortable, Neji decided. He found that, to his surprise, he didn't want to repeat what had been said as if, subconsciously, he knew he had been wrong. "We were sparring like usual but then she asked me how I was feeling... She.. She said she knew I was in pain and that she wanted to help." Hinata nodded, still frowning. "But then she started patronizing and coddling me, then pretended to know what I was going through. I snapped at that point and said she had no idea. Then we shouted at each other for a while. Then she left." he finished, still not looking at his cousin.

He looked up, however, when he heard a sharp intake of breath. It was the perfect movement; Hinata's palm collided with his cheek, causing his head to snap to the side under the force of her snap.

_"You said what?" _she shrieked, taking shallow, ragged breaths. He doubted he'd ever seen his sweet, gentle cousin so rattled before. Especially not with him. "How could you be so _heartless?_" she demanded, spots of color rising in her cheeks. "_How_ can you say that to her, when you _both_just lost a teammate?" she demanded again, her shoulders starting to shake- she was that furious.

Neji blinked at his cousin, stunned into silence. When he realized she expected an answer, he brought his hands up. "But it's different! I-"

He was cut off as Hinata slapped him gain, on the other cheek this time. "I want no excuses! Are you an idiot?" she asked him. He said nothing, just shied away in case she wanted to slap him again. Besides, his muddled brain couldn't come up with something to answer back. "Tenten was just as cut up about lee's death as you were, you _idiot_!" she yelled, her voice rising dangerously. "She just held back the tears and kept a lid on her grief because she didn't want to lose you, too!" near the end, Hinata's voice dropped back to its normal volume and she gazed at him sadly. "You were so out of it, she bottled up her feelings so that she could help you through it. It's tearing her up from the inside, but still she hasn't let herself grieve. Because of you. Because you were blaming and hating yourself, and she couldn't let you do that." she said, now tears starting to rise in her eyes. Angrily, she wiped them away. "And_ you_ say she doesn't _understand!_"

"Hinata," he attempted to start again, his voice wobbly and his eyes soft and wide, "I-"

"No!" she cut him off before he could continue. "I don't want to hear another word out of you!" He could tell the fury was back, along with a heavy sorrow. "I don't even want to see you..."

With that, the Hyuuga prodigy could only watch as his younger cousin turned away, her long hair hiding her face as she practically ran away from him as fast as she could. He could only stand there, rooted to the spot and trying to digest everything that she had just said.

* * *

><p>He missed her.<p>

Even though it was something Hyuuga Neji hated to admit to himself, he missed Tenten greatly. He missed the adrenaline rush and excitement that sparring with her brought, the peace he felt in her company, the relaxation and companionship she offered him. He missed her threatening them with bodly harm whenever she was angry. Him and Lee.

The Hyuuga had fled the compound just as Hinata had done, unable to stomach her accusations. Every single one of them had stung deeply, simply because every single one of them was true. He had left in hopes of gathering his thoughts and shattered pride before facing his cousin again. After wandering the village's streets for half an hour, he'd withdrawn to a high roof in order to escape the curious and damningly knowing looks people threw him. He couldn't bear their mixed compassion and curiosity.

_Really,_ he thought mournfully as he gazed up at the clouds, arms crossed under his head, _I was so wrapped up in my own bloody depression that I didn't appreciate her enough. Losing Lee might've been so hard, but letting myself wallow helplessly cost me even more... How could I have not seen how much pain Tenten was in herself? How? I might deserve to suffer, but _she_ shouldn't. _I _was supposed to be the strong one! Yet... All I've done is let myself become another burden for her, when she already has enough to deal with...How can I face her when I was such an _ass_? No.. She's probably better off without me. Just like Lee was. I failed them both._

Another heavy sigh escaped his lips as he opened his eyes again, staring up at the sky. The light had begu to slowly fade as the sun began its slow descent into the west, bathing the clouds in soft shades of pink and gold. Another time, Neji would have privately admired their beauty. Now, he just wasn't in the mood.

"Don't sigh – it ruins the mood." came a voice suddenly from his left and Neji jumped, sitting up into a startled sitting position. He had to blink twice to get the web of moisture out of his eyes before he recognized Shikamaru. The Chuunin was lying down about two feet from where he had been lying just moments ago, gazing lazily up at the sk.

"When did you...?" It wasn't often that the Hyuuga was lost for words, but it seemed to be happening more and more lately. Times were changing. Or, perhaps, he was.

"About twenty minutes." Shikamaru answered his unfinished question, not at all fazed by the Hyuuga's defensive and unnerved demeanor. "You were so caught up in your thoughts you didn't notice me. This is where I usually sit and watch the clouds. But you looked too comfortable to move and, since the roof's big enough, I didn't bother you." he added unnecessarily. In truth, Shikamaru had come there on a mission, but Neji didn't need to know that.

* * *

><p><em>So much for my chakra-locating senses.<em>Neji thought and sighed again, then lay back down. He felt slightly uncomfortable with Shikamaru there, but there wasn't much he could do about it. As the two fellow ninja fell into silence, Neji returned to his previous thoughts. He must have sighed again, because Shikamaru turned his head to the side to look at him. The Hyuuga looked incredibly burdened by something. It didn't take a genius to figure out what.

"What else could you have done?"

The question surprised Neji, who turned to glance at the spiky-haired young man that lay almost a meter away from him. Pulled out of his thoughts, he was unsure what the Chuunin meant. "Excuse me?"

"What else could you have done? On the mission?" Shikamaru repeated wearily. Neji was sure the phrase 'what a drag' was passing through his mind. However, the question demanded an answer, one that Neji found he didn't even have to think about.

"Anything. I could have done anything to save him." he said, teeth gritted together. This was a topic he didn't want to discuss, especially not now that he'd hurt Tenten. He couldn't bear the thought of another shinobi criticizing him, for he was sure that's what Shikamaru would do. He regretted his incompetence enough without others pointig it out to him. He was a lousy captain.

"Is that so?" Shikamaru remarked challengingly, though his voice remained calm and tranquil. "Because from what I heard, there wasn't much more that you could have done."

Now Neji was beginning to get angry. Why did everyone keep trying to tell him that when they weren't there, when they didn't know how badly he'd failed his team? Why did they keep coddling him, as if he weren't a Jouning that could take the blame for his mistakes?

Before Neji could get into a bigger stir, Shikamaru interrupted his inward tirade. "Have you gone over the mission again?" he asked calmly.

"Yes." came the growled reply. Instinctively, Neji's eyes narrowed at the young man, as if ready to activate his Byakugan.

"Then tell me what happened." Shikamaru challenged him, turning so that their eyes met.

Neji was almost bursting with anger, but he forced himself to calm down and growl out the words. "After we destroyed the base, we began to turn back towards Konoha. On our way, some scouts had set up an explosive trap that separated us so that they could fight us tête-à-tête. After I finished with mine, I went to help Tenten, since she was closer. I could tell Lee was still fighting. But... by the time we got to him..." His voice broke off and he fell silent, clenching his jaw.

"So what more could you have done?" Shikamaru asked him after leaving a small pause. "Did you know there were more enemies?"

"No." came the unwilling reply. "They weren't within y divination when we arrived and we didn't see a single trace of them."

"Exatly. And, once the bomb blew, did you take your time in dispatching your enemy?"

"No..."

"And, did Tenten need your help? Could you have just gone to Lee?"

"No..." he added, even more grudgingly. "If I hadn't gotten to her, Tenten would... she'd also be dead." he said, shuddering violently at the thought. Though Shikamaru noticed, he chose to pretend he hadn't seen it, just like the Hyuuga's moist eyes when he'd first noticed him. It had been very hard for Neji to say the words, but once he did, he feltpeace starting to settle in him. Shikamaru smiled slightly as the Hyuuga began to relax.

"Exactly my point. If you'd done anything differently, you might have saved Lee, but lost Tenten. When you went to her, Lee was still fighting. You had no reason to go to him, when Tenten was in imminent danger. You didn't choose between them, you simply helped the teammate you thought needed you most. Besides, Neji, both Lee and Tenten are Chuunin now. They'd hate it if they knew you thought of them as your responsibility. You might be the team leader as a Jounin, but you're in no way in complete charge of them. They can take care of themselves." Neji said nothing, looking at him with wide eyes. "So, to conclude, I see no logical way how you could have done anything to save Lee. Not with an outcome you'd have liked, at least. Anyway, I better get going. Suppertime." the Nara said, getting up abruptly and dusting his leggings off. "See ya." he said.

"Goodbye." Neji murmured as the shinobi leaped off the rooftop. His sudden departure didn't faze Neji so much as his words had. E ran over their conversation in every way he thought possible, but he couldn't think of a different answer to his friend's questions, nor of any other way to look at the situation. He fought with his inner guilt long an hard, trying to blame himself, but he could no longer find a way to do it. He still struggled for countless minutes before, finally, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. His hand,s that had een balled up into fists in his lap, relaxed and wrapped around his knees. The tension in his shoulders was released as he took another deep breath.

He was at peace.

* * *

><p>It was already dark. The sun's light was only a distant memory as Neji walked down the street, each step heavy in the silence. The civilians had long since gone to their houses and even Konoha-nin were scarce at that hour. Neji didn't mind; he craved solitude in that moment to keep himself focused. Even the slightest distraction could serve as an excuse to back down from what he had to do. He knew it wouldn't be pleasant. It might even turn violent if Tenten was in a bad enough mood. Despite the dangers, he knew he had to make peace with her and beg her forgiveness.<p>

Though he tried to walk slowly, he was soon in front of her door, having climbed the two flights of stairs to her apartment. He raised his fist to nock, then pulled it away, abashed. Part of him wanted to turn away and flee. The other part of him cursed his cowardice and straightened his spine. He wouldn't let his teammate down. Right now, he had to ignore his pride and say what he really felt, both about her and their situation.

Swallowing purposefully, he knocked on the gnarled wood three times and stood his ground, ready to dodge any projectiles or weapons Tenten might throw at him.

When the door finally opened, however, he wasn't ready for what he met.

Tenten stood in the doorway, a wrn shawl wrapped around her shoulders. She had dark shadows under her eyes and her hair was hanging, matted, down her back. The way she hugged herself drew attention to the weight she'd lost. When he met her eyes, his heart almost broke at the immense sorrow and pain that was buried deep within her chocolate irises.

The two teammates regarded each other for a few wordless moments, then Neji stepped forwards and wrapped his arms around her fragile-looking body, letting the door close behind him. He stroked her hair soothingly as she hugged him round the chest, sobs working their way up and tearing themselves out of her mouth. He only held her as she shook with the force of her crying, holding her securely against his chest.

"Sh... it'll be okay." he whispered, meaning every word. They _would_ be okay. He'd make sure of that.

* * *

><p>AN: Last chapter coming up! Thank you to everyone who's stuck with me so long. I'm sorry it took me a month to update- this was harder to write than I'd ever imagined (also, writer's block and procrastination).

Please, look forward to the next and final chapter, In Peace we Rest.


	10. In Peace We Rest

_A/N: Well, we've finally reached the end of this piece. , It took longer than what I'd hoped for but, meh, summer. I'd really like to thank all of you that have stuck with me so far. You've all been greatly supportive. ^_^ It's been really fun writing this. I might do a sequel, but it'll have to wait. You can expect another Neji/Tenten fanfic with more romance, but again, not sure when._

_Thank you all for reading. ^_^ Also, sorry if this is a bit rushed. .,_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Ten – In Peace we Rest<strong>

Fall was fast approaching the Village Hidden in the Leaf. The lush green leaves of the summer season had already turned a soft golden. A few trees bore their last golden fruit, while small flowers peeked through the carpet of leaves that had settled on the grassy floor of the clearing.

Hyuuga Neji sat quietly near the edge of it, directly in front of one of a simple tombstone that had been erected underneath a sturdy tree. Though all Konoha-nin were remembered at the common monument, each shinobi also had their own personal grave site, where family and friends could mourn in peace. This particular grave had been erected in the first ever clearing Team Gai had trained in, under the very tree Tenten used as target practice all those years ago. As the Hyuuga watched, a golden leaf drifted down to rest on the slab of rock.

_Rock Lee_

_The green beast of Konoha  
>Always believe in the Power of Youth<em>

Neji smiled slightly as his fingers traced the words that had been carved in the slab. In his mind, they fell well short of encompassing everything that Lee had meant to them all; the second most stubborn ninja in all of Konoha, the hardiest, the believer. Still, they would do, he decided. They'd never forget what wasn't said on this solitary tomb. The past few weeks had taught him to remember, but not dwell, to miss, but not to grieve over.

Those weeks had been hard on them both, him and Tenten. This time, however, they had worked as a team. In his guilt, he had forgotten what good work they achieved together. Having someone who understood him, and whom, in turn, he understood back, had allowed them to pull each other up back onto their feet.

* * *

><p>First, they had talked, all those weeks ago on her tatami mat, after she had run out of tears to shed.<p>

"Neji?" she had asked him eventually, still leaned against his chest with his arms securely around her shoulders.

"Sh." he had answered, stroking her hair. "You don't have to say anything. I... I'm sorry, Tenten. For everything. Sorry for letting you carry both of our burdens. Sorry for not thinking how you were feeling about all of this. Sorry for saying all that crap..."

Silence had hung over the pair as they sat cosied up together, digesting what his words met. Neji had held his breath while he waited for her answer. Eventually, the kunoichi had drawn back out of his arms gently, looking up at him. She had met his eyes with soft, compassionate ones and, ever so gently, reached up to cup his cheek with a watery smile.

"Thank you." she had said softly. They sat like that, a hair's breadth apart, before she had pulled away fully and sat down by his side. "I'm sorry, too... If... if I hadn't been so weak you wouldn't have had to save me and we would have been able to help Lee..." her voice had been small and, by the hunch in her shoulders, Neji had been sure she was going to break into tears again. Worried, he had reached for her and brought her into his arms again. His movement had startled them both, but neither protested.

"Don't say that." he told her softly, his soft voice whispering in her ear. His arms clenched around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. "You're not weak, Tenten. You were outnumbered and they had the element of surprise. Heck, you were even wounded. What happened was an accident."

The young woman had sniffled, but had leaned in closer. It felt strange, yet soothing, being comforted by Neji. Mostly, she was glad that he had let go of his guilt. Now, she only wished she could do the same herself.

"Tenten..." Neji had said softly and loosened his grip around her just enough to turn her face to him. "Sometimes, things just happen, no matter how much we wish they didn't." he had begu, rubbing soothing circles into the small of her back. "A wise friend told me that feeling guilt was pointless in these situations. Lee's death wasn't our fault, Tenten. We only blame ourselves because we think we should. A survivor's complex isn't healthy, Tenten. Do you think Lee was weak?" he had asked suddenly, making the kunoichi's eyes widen in surprise.

"N-no.." she had answered in a soft voice.

"Thought not. The truth is, Tenten, that, if we blame ourselves, we're saying that lee was our responsibility." he had told her, trying to remember Shikamaru's words. "Lee was no one's responsibility, Tenten. He was a skilled shinobi and, as such, we trusted him to take care of himself when we couldn't be there. The same goes for both me and you, Naruto, Hinata, every shinobi in the village."

Tenten nodded slowly, blinking back the tears that were threatening to surface again. What he was saying had made sense, but she had had difficulty accepting them. Neji had noticed and simply pulled her into another tight hug, trying to lessen the pain he knew she felt.

Then, they had helped each other heal. Second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day, they stood there to help pick the other up every time they fell. At first, they had continued to spar with each other then, instead of parting ways for the rest of the day, headed out to lunch together. Often, they sat with their other comrades, seeking company other than their own to take their mind off their loss. Even more often, they sat together with Gai sensei . In the beginning, they hadn't talked about Lee, but about their every day lives, Neji and Tenten's spars, Gai's challenges with kakashi-sensei and other inconsequential things. As the weeks went by, however, they began to reminisce fondly. Only then did they realize how to truly keep Lee's memory alive in them; by sharing stories and memories they had of him, things that made them laugh, groan and, even occasionally, cry.

It was the primary reason why the remaining members of Team Gai had began to visit Lee's gravestone every evening, sitting by it and talking before going their own separate ways for the night. As before, neji always walked Tenten part of the way. Nowadays, however, he took her to her doorstep, lingering a while before grudgingly parting for his own place.

Finally, they had bonded.

One evening, the two were returning from a nearby festival where they had gone with the remainder of the Konoha 11- now Konoha 10. Neji had walked Tenten to her place as usual, a motion that neither even noticed anymore. The young woman was holding a stuffed animal shed won at the festival and Neji a little goldfish in a plastic bag. As they reached her door, he held out the little animal.

"Here." he had said softly, smirking slightly as she raised an eyebrow. "I'd never remember to take care of it. Besides, I'm unsure as to whether Hiashi-sama would allow it." he had reasoned. In truth, he had seen how she had gazed at the little fish in the pond, but had had no luck in catching one.

"Oh!" she said, smiling widely. "Come in."she said, leaving the stuffed hippo on a chair and leading him into the kitchen. There, she took out a large bowl and filled it with water. "This should be fine for now, right?" she asked him, looking at the white and gold goldfish tenderly. Neji had to suppress another smirk, but nodded.

"Yes. I think it'll be fine indefinitely, actually. You probably don't need to buy him another bowl."

"I'll name him Hyuuga." she said, grinning at the surrised and slightly annoyed look on his face. "What?" she asked innocently. Neji, however, had jut shaken his head, smiling slightly.

"Just don't let anyone catch you trying to change my water." he had told her mock-seriously.

"Why?" Tenten had challenged teasingly, crossing her arms. "You always take the bait."

neji had stared at her for a moment, then growled slightly and reached for her. Tenten squealed and ran, giggling as he chased her around the small apartment. In the end, he had caught her by leaping on top of her, sending them both crashing down on top of a fuuton. Soon, she had been screaming his name as she tried to pry his tickling fingers off her badomen.

For a second, Neji had stopped, looking down at the flush-faced girl beneath him. Tears of laughter had streaked down her cheeks while her buns had begun to unravel. They're eyes had met and he had become enthralled by the cheeky, mirthful gleam in her eyes. Next thing he'd known, their eyes were closed and he was leaning in further, closing the distance that separated their lips.

* * *

><p>"So you see," Neji said with a slight grin, sitting opposite the gravestone, "things have been rough the past few weeks. But... I think... I think we're going to be fine." he smiled, looking up as he heard footsteps on the other side of the clearing.<p>

"Neji! Come on! We're going to be late meeting the others!" Tenten called softly, smiling widely at him.

Neji smiled back and waved, then got slowly to his feet. "Like I said, you don't have to worry about us anymore, Lee." he told his old friend, looking down at the leaves that had begun to cover the earth. "We'll make it." he promised him. "Goodbye, my friend."

Then, turning his back slowly to the grave, he began to walk over the golden leaves towards where Tenten was – and always would be – waiting for him.

**The End.**


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